The Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a gift to the State of Wisconsin from Jane and Lloyd Pettit in memory of her late father, Harry Lynde Bradley. Bradley was a co-founder and chairman of the Allen-Bradley Company. The Bradley Center is the only major, public assembly facility in North America with construction underwritten through the philanthropy of a single family. Its construction and continuing operation represent a gift to all the people of the State of Wisconsin.
The Center opened in October 1988 and is the home of five sports teams: the NBA Milwaukee Bucks, the IHL Milwaukee Admirals, the Marquette University Golden Eagles men's basketball team, the NPSL Milwaukee Wave soccer team and the AFL Milwaukee Mustangs arena football team.
The $90 million structure features glass-enclosed lobbies, three concourses, movable seats and accommodates both sports and non-sports events, such as concerts, ice shows and family entertainment, with minimal changeover time between events.
CURRENT OWNERSHIP: State of Wisconsin
CONSTRUCTION YEAR/PLANNING BEGAN: Planning of the Bradley Center started in 1985. Groundbreaking was October 20, 1986 and the Center opened to the public on October 1, 1988.
TEAMS THAT USE THE BRADLEY CENTER AS THEIR HOME: IHL's Milwaukee Admirals, NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, AFL's Milwaukee Mustangs, NPSL's Milwaukee Wave, and Conference USA's Marquette University Golden Eagles Men's Basketball (NCAA); the Bradley Center also hosts the Bank One Badger Hockey Showdown and the WCHA Final Five in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin.
DESIGN AND SITE ISSUES: The Center accommodates 18,600 guests for basketball, 17,800 for hockey/soccer, and 20,000 for concerts, with a total area of 550,000 square feet. From the top row to the basketball court, the distance is only 152 feet, with the suites only 76 feet from the court. There are 68 suites in the Bradley Center, all located on the second of three levels. Fans reach the three concourses via 16 escalators and two elevators. In addition, there are 12 concession stands, four merchandise stands, and 28 public restrooms. The arena houses separate team facilities for the Admirals, Bucks and Golden Eagles.
The site is approximately six acres and is located across the street from and just north of the Wisconsin Center convention and meeting facilities scheduled to open in 1999.
MARKET ORIENTATION: The five teams that utilize the Center represent about 135 dates, giving the Bradley Center a solid core of sports events. The size and seating capacity of the arena have helped it to attract both top touring talents and traditional family shows. The Bradley Center also gives Milwaukee an advantage in attracting national or international sporting events, such as NCAA basketball and hockey tournaments.
INTERESTING FACTS AND FIGURES: The building weighs 79,000 tons, stands 149 feet high, and is constructed of 21,000 cubic yards of concrete and 1,500 tons of structural steel. The lead-coated copper roof covers approximately three acres and rises to 13 stories at its highest point.
The Bradley Center has 24 entrances and exits with primary guest entryways located at each corner of the building. The northeast entrance on Fourth Street serves the Bradley Center Ticket and Administrative offices. The southeast entrance, also on Fourth Street, serves the Milwaukee Bucks Ticket and Administrative offices. The southwest entrance on State Street serves the Milwaukee Admirals Ticket and Administrative offices.
Inside each lobby, double rows of concrete columns with polished granite bases rise almost 70 feet to support a spectacular skylight system. Granite is also used in the lobby floor and in the grand stairway that leads to the 200 Level, as well as the entire exterior of the building.
The Bradley Center hosts approximately 200 events and 2,000,000 guests each year.
The Center can accommodate up to 20,000 guests, depending on the event. The 200 (Lower) Level of the Center accommodates approximately 8,000 spectators and provides 23 rows of seats for hockey and 26 rows for basketball. The 300 Level features 68 private suites which accommodate up to 20 guests per suite. Each suite is equipped with a wet bar, refrigerator, telephones, private restroom, custom furniture, and cable television. The 400 Level of the Center seats approximately 10,000 spectators in 21 rows of seats.
The first game played at the Bradley Center was an NHL Exhibition game with the Edmonton Oilers vs. the Chicago Blackhawks on October 1, 1988. Chicago's Denis Savard scored the first goal 8 minutes 5 seconds into the game; he flipped a shot over Oilers goalie Bill Ranford on a power-play goal.
Source: The Bradley Center
The Bradley Center is hard to miss. Located downtown, around the corner from the Mecca, the Bucks' earlier home, and occupying more than a city block, the arena's red-and-pink granite exterior is visible from several blocks away. Inside are two glass-enclosed atria with columns fashioned from the same granite used for the building's facade.
Although the Buck's home is impressive, the same cannot be said for what goes on inside. The Bucks have struggled the past several seasons. Milwaukee's poor play and the subdued hometown fans combine to make the experience of going to a game somewhat underwhelming. Even when the decibels rise, the sound seems to get lost.
Although the non-basketball entertainment at Bradley Center is not particularly noteworthy either, the local mascot, Bango - a buck with big antlers - is popular. A house band called StreetLife also does its best to get things going during the game. Rather than anticipating the basketball experience of a lifetime, you should expect a quieter kind of NBA evening. The highlight of your visit likely will be Bradley Center itself, a comfortable, well-built facility.
Source: Fodor's Four Sport Stadium Guide
The Bradley Center is located on the corner of Fourth and State Streets in Milwaukee. It covers more than a city block and is within walking distance of such luxury hotels as the new Hilton Hotel (formerly the Marc Plaza), the Wyndam and the Hyatt Regency, tournament headquarters for the Bank One Badger Hockey Showdown.
With state-of-the-art engineering and technology, the Bradley Center features the integration of classic architectural elements. There are four dramatic entryways leading into the facility, one on each corner of the building. Each entryway is reached through a progression of visually exciting spaces: a tree-lined plaza, leading through an exterior portico into a 28-foot high, glass-enclosed vestibule, which opens onto a stunning 60-foot high, 17,500 square-foot lobby, also totally glass enclosed.
Inside each lobby, double rows of concrete columns with granite bases rise almost 70 feet to support a spectacular skylight system.
Two elevators, 16 escalators and various stairways take spectators to the seating area. Seating is comfortably arranged in an oblong octagon that provides spectators with an unrestricted view of the playing surface and the centrally located, four-sided video scoreboard.
The first level accommodates approximately 8,000 spectators. The second level features private suites that encircle the arena and provide seating for nine to 12 people per suite. The third level seats approximately 10,000 spectators in 21 rows of seats.
The Bradley Center has a total of 12 concession stands; eight of which sell traditional concession food and refreshments. The other four sell hamburgers, french fries, shakes, tacos, pizza pasta and other foods. Each stand is equipped with two to six closed circuit TV monitors.
The Bradley Center is the site of the nation's premier collegiate hockey holiday tournament in the Bank One Badger Hockey Showdown. In the five year history of the tournament, over 200,000 fans have witnessed Badger hockey at the Bradley Center. Over 15 teams representing all four collegiate hockey conferences have taken part in the two-day event. Teams from Canada have also been part of the field.
In 1993 the Bradley Center was the site of the NCAA Ice Hockey Championships. It was the most successful Final Four in NCAA history, drawing nearly 53,000 fans (an NCAA record for three sessions). The crowd of 17,704 for the NCAA championship game, set an NCAA hockey single-session record. Because of the remarkable success in 1993, the Bradley Center was awarded the 1997 NCAA Championships, which marks the 50th anniversary of the ice hockey championships.
Source: University of Wisconsin - Madison
MILWAUKEE'S BRADLEY CENTER MAY SEEK PUBLIC MONEY FOR RENOVATIONS
May 13, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
Bradley Center officials are cautiously sounding out political leaders about the possibility of attracting public funds to help renovate the 11-year-old venue that is the home of the NBA Bucks and the IHL Admirals. The issue is a sticky one after political leaders suffered harsh criticism in developing a financing plan for Miller Park, the new $400 million ballpark for the Brewers now under construction.
The Bucks are hoping to get more revenue from the arena which is operated by a semi-private corporation. Arena officials are planning a $5 million renovation this summer which will add improvements to scoreboards, outdoor signage and similar features. A proposed $10 million project would add club seats, a restaurant and more concession stands. The venue has no club seats now. Another expansion could see the addition of a theater and retail shops.
The center lost $2.3 million last year on revenues of $16.8 million. If there are surpluses, the money goes to the Bucks. The team pays no rent and gets $40,000 per game and 19% of luxury suite sales. They also get 27.5% of gross concession sales and 13.75% of gross suite catering sales. Advertising sales generate another $625,000 a year and the team gets 30% of merchandise sales.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS PLAN ARENA UPGRADES
October 7, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Bradley Center board will add new video screens to its arena giving Milwaukee Bucks fans new views of the game and the team new revenue opportunities. The
13-foot by 23-foot screens will be at each end of the arena and are part of a $4 million investment by the board. The team hopes to add a restaurant, club seating and possibly
retail offerings to the center. A committee is now studying possible changes to the venue, including an outdoor marquee.
The NBA team would get all revenue from the new signs. A signage revenue now goes to the Bradley Center board, except for temporary signs erected by the teams that
play there. The Bucks are also negotiating with six building partners for sponsorship programs.
THE ULTIMATE SPORTS ROAD TRIP
By: Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell
| Bradley Center Ranking by USRT |
| Architecture |  | 5 |
| Concessions | | 6 |
| Scoreboard | | 5 |
| Ushers | | 7 |
| Fan Support | | 5 |
| Location | | 9 |
| Banners/History | | 7 |
| Entertainment | | 6 |
| Concourses/Fan Comfort | | 6 |
| Bonus: Swing Band | | 2 |
| Bonus: Milwaukee's Ethnic Diversity | | 2 |
| Total Score |  | 60 |
February 19, 2001 - The Bradley Center is not one of the spanking new arenas, yet incorporates many design features which are the norm today yet were cutting edge back in the 80s - multi concourses which are super wide, beautiful entry atriums on either side, food courts and separate suite levels.
What immediately endeared us to Milwaukee was the striking resemblance that this city has
to our own Buffalo - the skylines are similar; the city sits right along the lake, and you can
get a definite feel of the ethnicity of the neighborhoods - particularly the German and Irish
presence. One eventually gets the sense that the people here are very much like Buffalo
people - gritty, hard working, blue collar types who know the meaning of a good days work
and who are friendly and neighborly. We knew we would like it here and we were not
disappointed.
The Bradley Center is right downtown, and is the centerpiece of a bustling and diverse
neighborhood which includes hotels, German bistros, sports bars and restaurants. Right
next door is the older US Cellular Arena still open for smaller scale events. (That arena is
better known as "The Mecca" back in the old days when guys like Robertson and Jabbar
brought this city its greatest NBA moment). The Bradley Center is also home to the
Milwaukee Bucks, Marquette University basketball, as well the minor league IHL Admirals,
the NPSL Wave and the AFL Mustangs.
A three sided marquee sits outside on the corner of a large public plaza - two sides have
dot matrix boards and the third is a video board. Once you enter the building you walk into
a large entry pavilion with high ceilings and dramatic views of the outside. The pavilion is
smartly decorated with balloon arches in Bucks colors, high tech video boards hanging
high above, and colorful banners as well as decorative planters with bright foliage. A
grand staircase and escalators take you to the concourse levels. Although this atrium is
nowhere near as large as our own at HSBC Arena, it is a very warm and appealing public
space. As we entered the building, we were serenaded by a full orchestra playing oldies
and swing tunes.
The Bowl
The seating bowl is laid out in three levels -lower, suite and upper, each with its own
concourse. A four sided jumbotron board is in the center, and two huge video board hang
from the rafters at each end zone. There are dot matrix information boards along the
balcony, along with stationary back lit ad panels. The ad panels on the center scoreboard
are changable, and one cool and unique thing that we noticed... there were four ad panels
above the scoreboard shaped like a CAN. The ads scrolled various Pepsi and Miller
products.
Banners/Retired Numbers
The Bucks herald their one NBA championship and then list 7 retired numbers on one
banner. Marquette's centerpiece other than its titles is the one banner honoring the great
Al McGuire.
Concessions
If you like beer, skip the regular stuff and try the local brew -Leinenkugel Red, available on
tap at all the concessions. This is Milwaukee, the beer capital, and sampling their great
brews is an absolute must! There is no team store, but there are several huge merchandise
kiosks on each level with ample counter and display space.
Things That Caught Our Eye - "Don't wave - Dance!". The Dance Cam exhorts people to do their shtick on camera and for the most part the fans obliged.
The cheerleaders, male and female, manned the exits as the fans departed and thanked
people for coming and wished them a good trip home. THAT is being fan friendly!
Again we mention a dramatic outdoor marquee as a great suggestion for the outside of
HSBC Arena.
Summary
The Milwaukee Bucks are coming around.. the team is playing well for the first time in many
years and might make some noise in the playoffs, and this city is getting excited. Also,
MILLER PARK, Milwaukee's beautiful new retractable roof stadium, is slated to open in April
after a year's delay. We checked the place out during our visit and this is going to be one
terrific baseball experience! So basically Milwaukee is one great place to be right now if
you are a sports fan. Of course, WE will be back this summer to visit the ballpark, enjoy
some sizzling bratwursts and cold beers and enjoy an evening of Brewers baseball in one
of MLB's hottest new venues. We can't wait!
