The Milwaukee Bucks have scaled back the largest building they are planning in the “Live Bock” portion of the downtown Milwaukee arena project.
In updated plans submitted to the city this month, the four-story building has been reduced to two-floors, although increased ceiling heights inside of the structure give it the appearance of three stories from the outside.
The Live Block, which spans North Fourth Street between West Highland Avenue and West Juneau Avenue, is one of the central elements of the Buck’s design plan for the new arena and connects the arena, a plaza on Fourth Street and Old World Third Street.
It was originally scheduled to be complete in fall 2018, but the date has been pushed back to spring 2019.
The building that has been scaled back is one of three planned for the Live Block. This one is located next to The Moderne residential tower.
Alex Lasry, senior vice president of the Bucks, said the scaled back plans for the Live Block building were in response to discussions with tenants.
“We didn’t know if we would be doing office, or a live music venue or a brewery (in the building). Now, after surveying the market, we felt a two-story space made more sense and felt it would be more conducive to the area and fit the neighborhood better as well,” Lasry said. “We think what we’ve done with the two-story space is going to be better than a four-story space.”
While the Bucks would like to land a corporate headquarters in the arena district, they are no longer seeking an office tenant for the Live Block, Lasry said.
The focus now for the Live Block is on restaurants and bars, including a brew pub, which may or may not brew beer on site.
“Wisconsin has a very storied beer history and we would like there to be a craft beer element to it that feeds off of that local history of Wisconsin beer,” Lasry said. “I think for us we are trying to make something that is not only unique to Wisconsin, but uniquely Wisconsin.”
Lasry said the Bucks will make their first Live Block tenant announcement either before Christmas or right after the New Year.
The team is looking for tenants who will thrive, even when basketball and concerts are not going on inside of the arena, Lasry said.
“We want to bring a new type of entertainment to Milwaukee and Milwaukee’s downtown that has not been seen and add diversity of entertainment options,” Lasry said. “This is going to be the heartbeat of the district and the new living room of Milwaukee.”
