Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Bucks G League team ‘no longer wants to work with’ Oshkosh Arena owners, may look to get out of lease.

Published

2 years ago

May 16, 2024

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Milwaukee Bucks G League team ‘no longer wants to work with’ Oshkosh Arena owners, may look to get out of lease.

Wisconsin Herd’s lease agreement runs until 2026 but a source revealed the team has opt-out provisions that could release them

OSHKOSH — The Wisconsin Herd may be looking for a new home.

Oshkosh could be in danger of losing the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA G League team, as an inside source revealed the Herd “no longer wants to work” with Oshkosh Arena owner Fox Valley Pro Basketball Inc. after claiming it’s in violation of its current lease.

It’s not exactly certain how Fox Valley Pro Basketball Inc. is suspected to be in breach of the lease agreement, which runs to 2026, but the source explained the Herd has opt-out provisions that could release the team from that lease.

Efforts to contact officials from the Herd and its managing company, Future Bucks LLC, proved unsuccessful while Fox Valley Pro Basketball Managing Partner Greg Pierce declined comment.

News of the NBA G League team’s possible departure comes two months after Oshkosh Arena was listed for sale following a tumultuous seven-year stretch that has seen the owners file for bankruptcy while facing litigation.

Reports indicate the Herd is willing to stay in Oshkosh to work with new arena ownership, but that would depend on the timing of the sale.

Herd’s impact in Oshkosh: Wisconsin Herd, Oshkosh tout benefits of their relationship: ‘It puts Oshkosh on the map’

The Herd will have to finalize its home court arrangements before the G League schedule releases in early September.

The Herd likely has until August to nail down home court arrangements for the 2024-25 season, considering the NBA releases its G League schedule in early September.

But the sale of Oshkosh Arena may take longer than expected, as any deal would be contingent on Fox Valley Pro Basketball Inc. settling its current tax arrears with the City of Oshkosh.

According to the city’s finance department, the Oshkosh Arena owners currently owe more than $619,000 in combined personal property and real estate taxes.

It’s just the latest in a long series of financial struggles for Fox Valley Pro Basketball Inc. since it first built the arena to attract the Herd to Oshkosh in 2017.

The general contractor for what was then the Menominee Nation Arena sued the arena owners for an outstanding debt of $21.5 million in 2019 before Fox Valley Pro Basketball filed for bankruptcy, reporting more than 100 creditors.

Fox Valley Pro Basketball Inc. eventually reached settlements with the creditors, including the city of Oshkosh and the Herd, in 2020 before employees were locked out of the arena three years later as a result of fire code violations.

FVPB Managing Partner Greg Pierce says the plan was always to own Oshkosh Arena for seven to 10 years.

But Pierce told the Northwestern the arena’s listing has nothing to do with its financial challenges, as the initial plan was always to own the building for a seven- to 10-year period.

“We hired a consultant to market it and test the waters to see what we can get for it, and so far we have several groups looking at the building,” Pierce said in an interview with the Northwestern.

“If there’s nothing reasonable in terms of offers, then we continue on with the arena.”

The arena is listed on LoopNet as an 80,000-square-foot sports and entertainment building at 1212 S. Main St. without a price attached.

Young American Capital, SFR Realty and Main Line Executive Realty have been retained to manage the sale.

The listing also says the Oak View Group will manage the facility for the next 10 years while revenue is projected at $8 million next year as a result of sponsorship and booked events.

But that figure stands to take a significant blow if the Herd is no longer a tenant of the arena.

Oshkosh Chamber CEO Rob Kleman estimates each Herd home game generates $100,000 of economic impact in Oshkosh.

The City of Oshkosh would likely feel the pinch as well, as Oshkosh Chamber President/CEO Rob Kleman estimates each Herd home game generates about $100,000 of economic impact in the area.

The arena seats more than 4,000 people and the Herd averaged 87% capacity crowds in 24 home games during the 2022-23 season while selling out 11 of those contests.

According to team President Steve Brandes, the Herd also donated $277,000 to charitable causes that season.

And these are figures not lost on Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff.

“We can’t take them for granted, so I’m working to make sure that they never leave,” Rohloff said when asked about the Herd’s impact on Oshkosh.

“I think they’re important to the community and I think they’re important to the success of the arena because the example I use is that of a mall — you need good anchors in the mall, and the Herd represents a credible anchor for the arena and that’s what perspective buyers will be looking at.”

Oshkosh beat out bids from La Crosse, Racine, Sheboygan and Grand Chute to become the home city for the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League team back in 2017.

And the Herd appeared entrenched in Oshkosh for the foreseeable future after signing a multi-year extension of their lease in 2022 that would see the team remain in Oshkosh Arena through to 2026 with a further option to extend until 2028.

Lease extension: Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA G League team, extends lease with Oshkosh Arena

Milwaukee may not be obligated to keep its G League team in Wisconsin, either, as the Denver Nuggets (Grand Rapids Gold), Minnesota Timberwolves (Iowa Wolves) and Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce) all have their affiliates in outside states.

The Phoenix Suns don’t have a G League team.

Have a story tip or public interest concern? Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@gannett.com.

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Milwaukee, WI

5 takeaways: Horrific second half spells doom for Celtics in Milwaukee

Published

8 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

5 takeaways: Horrific second half spells doom for Celtics in Milwaukee

The Celtics have been on a heater recently, and midway through the second quarter against the Bucks on Thursday, it appeared they were going to cruise to a sixth straight win.

That all changed rather quickly as Boston would go on to miss 16 straight threes, losing in rather embarrassing fashion to a Milwaukee team without Giannis Antetokounmpo and who had lost 10 of its last 12.

Here are five takeaways from the loss…

Staying hot

As mentioned above, it wasn’t a night where Boston just didn’t have it — it was actually quite the opposite. The Celtics connected on 10 of their first 17 threes, with Jordan Walsh and Payton Pritchard each hitting a pair to build a 21-8 lead.

Midway through the second quarter, Boston was shooting 56% from the floor and 53% from deep, going up by as many as 14 in the quarter.

That all came crashing down in the blink of an eye.

Walsh’s efficient run continues

Walsh was once again why Boston was finding success on both ends of the floor against the Bucks in the first half.

The 21-year-old forward was perfect from the floor in the first half, connecting on all seven of his shots — including three triples — to score 18. Walsh also snagged three steals as his defensive energy continued to shine.

At the half, Walsh was 27-for-32 in his last five games, good for 82% from the floor. Like the rest of the Celtics, Walsh didn’t do much in the second half, finishing with 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting, but his offensive effectiveness continues to be impressive given where he was even two months ago.

Can’t hold a lead

The Celtics held a double digit lead on three separate occasions on Thursday night, and all three times that lead evaporated in just minutes.

When you have a team like Milwaukee, who have lost 10 of its last 12 and appear to be on the verge of losing one of the best players in the NBA, it isn’t hard to knock them out rather quickly. But each time the Celtics went up, they let go of the rope just enough to give the Bucks — and their half empty arena — some life.

A big part of that was Kyle Kuzma exploding for a season high 31 points. The journeyman forward went toe-to-toe with Jaylen Brown all night, getting the better of the superstar on multiple occasions.

Once that third double-digit lead shrank to nothing, Boston didn’t have enough to muster another one.

Brutal shooting

As is often the story with Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics, once the threes stop going in, the ship usually starts sinking.

That’s exactly what happened in the second half on Thursday night.

Boston missed 16 straight triples, which is good for the fourth longest streak in franchise history. During that cold streak the Bucks went on a 27-8 run en route to blowing out the Celtics.

The worst shooting offender of all was probably Sam Hauser, who missed all 10 of his attempts, seven of those coming from beyond the arc.

After scoring 67 points in the first half, Boston only put up 34 in the second half.

Bobby Portis goes nuclear

When you combine horrific shooting with 30-year-old Bobby Portis pouring in 27 points off the bench, it probably isn’t going to end well for you. Portis scored 18 in the second half, with two corner threes to open the fourth basically being the dagger for the Bucks.

The forward also wasn’t afraid to go after it with Brown, even drawing a technical foul after getting a little too close for comfort.

Portis also grabbed 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double.

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Milwaukee, WI

Brewers to sign outfielder Akil Baddoo to major league deal

Published

20 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Brewers to sign outfielder Akil Baddoo to major league deal

The Brewers have made their first major league move in the 2026 free agent market.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Brewers are signing outfielder Akil Baddoo to a major league deal. The major league nature of the deal is somewhat of a surprise, given that Baddoo spent almost all of last season in the minors.

Baddoo, 27, was a Twins second-round pick out of high school in 2016 and moved to Detroit in the December 2020 Rule 5 draft. That first season in Detroit went quite well: in 124 games, Baddoo hit .259/.330/.436 with 20 doubles, seven triples, 13 homers, and 18 stolen bases, which earned him 2.1 bWAR. But his bat has not reached those levels since, and in parts of four seasons since 2021, Baddoo has hit just .201/.288/.323 in 682 plate appearances. He spent most of the 2025 season at Triple-A Toledo, where he had good numbers: he hit .281/.385/.483 with 15 home runs, 21 doubles, six triples, and 25 stolen bases in 29 tries.

In the field, Baddoo is primarily a left fielder but has played some in center and a little bit in right. Defensive metrics have graded him as about an average outfielder, but those samples are not large.

Milwaukee had one open spot on their 40-man roster, which Baddoo will presumably take.

It’s an interesting move. The Brewers could use an upgrade in the outfield, but their depth isn’t bad; between Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, Blake Perkins, Isaac Collins, Garrett Mitchell, and (sort of) Christian Yelich, the Brewers have several viable major-league options. Brandon Lockridge is also in the mix as a player at the line between Triple-A and the majors. Baddoo does not project to be much of an upgrade, and instead will slot in for more depth, but MLB at-bats might be hard to come by.

In unrelated free agent news of some interest to Milwaukee fans that broke about the same time, former Brewer Hoby Milner has signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, where he’ll reunite with his former Brewers manager.

Update: According to Curt Hogg, the Brewers have also added outfielder Greg Jones on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Jones will be 28 in March and has appeared briefly in the majors over the past two seasons with the Rockies and White Sox. He was a fairly highly regarded prospect several years ago, appearing at #91 on Jonathan Mayo’s Top 100 prospect list prior to the 2022 season. He is likely to be merely added depth for the Brewers’ Triple-A squad.

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Milwaukee, WI

Hidden ‘Treasure Island:’ Wisconsin demolition exposes shuttered store

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Hidden ‘Treasure Island:’ Wisconsin demolition exposes shuttered store

BROWN DEER, Wis. – Take a look in any direction around the FOX6 TV station, and it is clear Brown Deer is growing. The village is amidst multiple major developments that will soon bring new apartments, shopping, and restaurants to Milwaukee’s North Shore. No project is bigger than what’s being called Riverside Landing.

A hidden treasure

What we know:

“All told, it’s going to be probably a four-year build-out,” said Brown Deer’s development director Nate Piotrowski. “It’s such a huge piece of land at really the gateway to Brown Deer.”

As crews demolish what was once here, something unexpected happened.

Demolition of Treasure Island store, Brown Deer

“I said to my husband, ‘Oh my God, I have to stop and get a picture of that,’” said Lynn Hunsicker.

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“And I thought, I haven’t thought of that place in years,” added Cynthia Taylor-Gray.

As an old facade is revealed by the construction of the development, memories have come flooding out.

Demolition of Treasure Island store, Brown Deer

“It never occurred to me the old Treasure Island roof would still be intact under there,” said Karen Spinti.

Treasure Island revealed

Dig deeper:

Discount store Treasure Island opened in the early 1960s. First in Appleton, and then in the exploding suburbs around Milwaukee.

“They had everything from hardware to underwear,” explained Cynthia Taylor-Gray.

Treasure Island won awards for its design. This picture was included in the August 1963 edition of Wisconsin Architect Magazine. Photos provided by Wollin Studios

Taylor-Gray said despite not being in one in decades, her memory has been jogged.

“It felt like acres, just acres of retail merchandise,” added Karen Spinti.

Sprinti recalled getting dither when she dove into the clothes as a child.

Treasure Island in 1963 as seen in Wisconsin Architect

“I remember having to go to the bathroom urgently and not being able to find my mom,” said Spinti.

The Madison Location of Treasure Island as seen in 1963 Wisconsin Architect Magazine

For Lynn Hunsicker, her senses have returned.

“I really remember the smell when you first walked in because it had popcorn and hot dogs,” recalled Hunsicker.

Treasure Island locations included full snack bars located at the front of the store. Picture appeared in 1963 Wisconsin Architect

It’s all coming back, as the store’s old look is revealed again.

But for all the clothes and tools and food for sale, there was nothing more recognizable than what was on top.

“Shop under the squiggly roof,” said Hunsicker with a smile.

Designing The Squiggly Roof

Designing the Squiggly Roof:

The squiggly roof isn’t just bringing back memories for shoppers.

“Frustrating for an 8-year-old, let me tell you. I spent a lot of time in the book section,” said architect Jim Shields.

Shields’ memory is different than most. His parents didn’t just drag him to the retailer, his dad’s employer designed it.

The Milwaukee architecture firm led by Jordan Miller and George Waltz, where Shields’ dad worked as a structural engineer, had a number of high profile projects.

Key players

George Waltz graduated from Yale before starting the firm with Jordan Miller.

From Milwaukee’s airport terminal to the downtown post office, it was the firm’s decision to go with an untraditional wavy roof for a retailer that may go down as their biggest hit.

“It’s called folded plate concrete. Normally, concrete is envisioned as a flat slab, or a plate. But in this circumstance, they could fold it up and down. And that gave it long-span capability,” explained Shields.

Courtesy: Dekalb Historyv Center

Branded as the squiggly roof, the design allowed Treasure Island’s massive stores to have fewer beams leading to a wide open floor space. The shape is so unmistakable, the roof was seen in nearly every ad.

“All under the squiggly roof. That was their trademark,” said Merissa Howard with the Dakalb History Center near Atlanta, Georgia.

Courtesy: Dekalb History Center

Howard said that Milwaukee design was soon being exported to her neck of the woods.

“They were absolutely massive. They were over 200,000 square feet, which to put into perspective, is bigger than a Costco,” said Howard.

Courtesy: Dekalb History Center

Known as the Treasury in some states, by the late 1970s, the retailer started to struggle through a recession.

“They were too big. There’s too much competition,” said Howard.

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By the 1980s, Treasure Island’s run was over. The stores closed, and new retailers moved in. Those famous squiggly roofs went away.

They’ve been there all along

Dig deeper:

But if you look close enough you’ll realize those roofs never actually disappeared. Have you ever been behind a former Treasure Island location? It’s worth a peek.

“They had a roof put over the top of it to keep it from leaking. So it was really hidden away,” said Jim Shields.

Shields said most of the locations weren’t destroyed, they were simply retrofitted. The squiggly roofs were hidden under new flat roofs placed on top.

From Appleton to West Allis and Brookfield, a peek behind the buildings revealed the squiggly roofs have been there all along.