The "obvious theme for the Bucks is construction: building a new arena, a new practice facility, a new culture and new identity while maintaining ties to its past and present," but the team, state, county and city "also face a serious issue that remains unresolved: a funding package for a new arena that combines private and public money," according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY. Bucks President Peter Feigin said, "My job is to act like this is getting done no matter what. The real positive news is that everybody behind closed doors is positive. There aren't meetings on city, state and county side that don't end with, 'We'll get this done.'" Zillgitt noted the Bucks "would like the funding package in place this summer and a shovel in the ground in September or October." It is an "energizing and hopeful time to be a Bucks fan." The team on April 13 "unveiled new logos." Ownership has "added local minority partners," and earlier this year the Bucks staff moved into a "modern, wide-open office space to accommodate ... new jobs mostly in ticket sales but also to marketing and communications departments." The club is "moving forward under the idea that a new arena will be built." Feigin has spent "considerable time meeting with local businesses, trying to convince executives to invest in season tickets." He said, "We had to really communicate the fact that we're a business. We had to become a sales organization. We had to have objectives and accountability. We had to build a performance culture that drives the heart of the business, which is attendance and viewership on TV. We had to understand this was about building fan loyalty and monetizing audience and not being ashamed it's a business" (USATODAY.com, 4/26).
URGENT LETTER: In Milwaukee, Rich Kirchen reported Marquette President Mike Lovell and AD Bill Scholl, who have said that the university "will not contribute construction funds to a new arena in downtown Milwaukee," on Friday sent a letter "urging the university's basketball fans to write state legislators ... about 'public financing assistance' for the project." Marquette and the Bucks announced in January that they are "partnering on a multipurpose facility." The school also has "retained a lobbyist" who is "registered to work on the arena-funding issue before the state Legislature." Lovell and Scholl are "going beyond that by referring MU basketball fans to a form letter on the website of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and email it to public officials." The form letter states, in part: "This project would not only be a catalytic jump start to new development in downtown Milwaukee, it is a critical element in differentiating the Milwaukee Region -- and the state -- as a first class location for talent and business" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/26).
