Upgrades approved for home of the Milwaukee Brewers

Upgrades are coming to the home of the Milwaukee Brewers more than a year after the passage of a public financing deal for the stadium.

The Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District board last week unanimously approved around $30 million for a project plan for American Family Field this year. The planned renovations include $10 million for a public gathering space.

Pat Goss, the executive director of the district, said the board will also hold a future vote to approve $25 million to winterize the stadium so it can be used for events during the offseason.

The plan comes after Gov. Tony Evers signed a bipartisan bill in 2023 that includes over $500 million in public funds for upgrades to the ballpark over the next few decades.

“It’s the first in what’s going to be many steps of delivering on what the legislature and the governor approved, and what I think a majority of citizens of Wisconsin want to see done, which is to make sure that we have a nice facility that allows the Brewers to be competitive on the ball field,” said Pat Goss, the executive director of the district. 

The Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District oversees operations and maintenance at the stadium, which opened in 2001. The district officially approved the new lease agreement in December, ensuresing the Brewers stay in the city until at least 2050. 

A statement from Evers called the approval of the lease a “home run.” 

“Without an investment from the state, the District would not have had the resources to meet the contractual and legal obligations necessary to maintain and update American Family Field, posing the risk of Wisconsin losing the Brewers and its only MLB team,” Evers stated. 

Goss said new projects at the stadium can move forward because the new lease was signed. He said the district board’s vote Friday also ensures work can begin.

“It’s full steam ahead,” Goss said.

Winterizing stadium could bring concerts, other events

Plans to winterize the stadium were discussed when the deal was being debated in 2023. The goal is for a temperature of 68 degrees to be maintained inside the stadium during the winter, according to a project description.

That will require utility upgrades.

“That’s certainly something that will take time,” Goss said, saying he did not have a timeline for construction. “It’s not as simple as replacing a pipe or something like that.” 

Visit Milwaukee’s president and CEO Peggy Williams-Smith said it’s her hope the project will allow the stadium to hold public events during the winter.

“We are hopeful that they’ll host concerts, which would be huge,” Williams-Smith said. “We’re hopeful they can host other sporting events throughout the year that can create economic impact throughout the county.”

However, Victor Matheson, an economics professor at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, said he doesn’t believe the stadium will see much life during the winter.

“The big concert tours that require a 40,000-seat stadium, those are typically taking place in the summer, rather than in the winter,” Matheson said.

Currently, an appearance by Billy Joel and Sting is the only concert planned in the stadium for 2025.

The board also approved $10 million for creation of a “Social Gathering Space” at the stadium.

Other stadiums across Major League Baseball also have public spaces available for fans, including Gallagher Way at Wrigley Field in Chicago and Gallagher Square at Petco Park in San Diego.

“Whether it’s for groups, whether it’s for families and kids … it could be a wide range of things,” Goss said.

Goss said much of the work won’t be noticeable to fans, like replacing walk-in coolers and freezers.

“It’s important stuff to make sure that the place stays in good shape, and that fans have a good experience,” he said.

Upgrades also include $500,000 for the stadium’s retractable roof, and around $660,000 for a sensory room for fans with “special needs.” Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee has two sensory rooms for people with developmental disabilities who need a quiet space during events.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the winterization plan for the stadium will need a separate vote from the district board.