In Milwaukee, Marley & Stein in a front-page piece noted the Wisconsin state Assembly yesterday approved a bill for $250M in public funding for a new Bucks arena, and Gov. Scott Walker said that he "would sign the much-revised measure, calling it a good deal" for the state. Next up for the Bucks is "working out a land sale with Milwaukee County and getting approval for the arena from the Milwaukee Common Council." Speaking at the Capitol after the Assembly vote, Bucks coach Jason Kidd and President Peter Feigin "praised the deal and said the remaining pieces could be assembled in time for construction to start in the fall." Feigin: "I'm not overly confident, but I'm confident" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 7/29).
VISCOSITY LEVEL: City of Edmonton Corporate Properties Manager Rick Daviss, the point man for the Oilers' new C$480M arena and adjoining C$56.5M Winter Garden, said that work "is proceeding on budget and remains on schedule" for its planned fall '16 opening. In Edmonton, David Howell notes construction began in March '14, and now the "final roof trusses are being installed." Work on the seating bowl "is progressing," and upper-level precast concrete bleachers "are being installed." Daviss said that the steel structure for the Winter Garden "is almost complete" (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 7/29).
HAPPY CAMPERS: In Minneapolis, Matt Vensel notes the Vikings' contract with Minnesota State Univ.-Mankato to hold training camp at the school "expires after this summer, the team’s 50th in Mankato." But the Vikings are "negotiating with the university to possibly extend the contract." Because the Vikings' Winter Park HQ "doesn’t have the necessary space to hold training camp and with a new facility possibly years away, renewing their contract with Minnesota State Mankato remains the likeliest scenario" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/29).
NOT PITCH PERFECT: In K.C., Sam McDowell reported Sporting Park today and tomorrow "will lay down a new field," just in time for Sporting K.C. to "utilize it" for their home match Saturday against the Dynamo. It was during the same matchup in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal last week when the field's playing conditions "became a storyline." The players said that they "struggled to gain solid footing ... and the old field housed enough divots in the July 21 match that even club CEO Robb Heineman took part in filling them in during halftime" (KANSASCITY.com, 7/28).
