Milwaukee, WI
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.
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee food trucks will soon close earlier than they have been after the Common Council unanimously approved a plan this week to restrict late-night operating hours.
Local perspective:
Common Council members said the change came in response to safety concerns. The new rule, which takes effect on May 9, will require food trucks in the downtown area to close by 10 p.m. In other food truck zones, it’s now 11 p.m.
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The previous closing time for food trucks in the city was 1 a.m.
Food truck parked on Water Street
‘This is not fair’
What they’re saying:
On Saturday, the smell of burgers, brats and tacos lingered around the food trucks as busy cooks prepared tasty bites for hungry customers on Water Street.
“Everyone knows us here. A lot of support from students, from the community in this area,” said Abdallah Ismail, who owns the Fatty Patty food truck.
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Ismail said their peak hour is 10 p.m. Soon, they won’t be allowed to stay open at that time.
“If we close at 10, we lose everything,” said Ismail. “We have to close. That’s it. There’s no work anymore.”
Ismail said he and other food truck owners learned about the new rule from the news. He also said the city had reached out to them the first time they created restrictions for food trucks and outlined acceptable operating hours.
Abdallah Ismail, owner of Fatty Patty food truck
“This is not a fair decision, and at least they have to talk to us,” he said. “I’m a legit legal business – that I pay tax, that I have my permits, that I obey to all rules that the city has – so they should at least respect us.”
For now, the businesses parked along Water Street said they hope they can find a solution with Common Council members that works for everyone.
“I hope that they’re going to listen to us. If not, we want to see how we can solve it,” said Ismail.
In a statement, Ald. Robert Bauman said:
“The city and council followed all required procedures regarding posting and publishing notice of this legislation. Same process for all files that come before the council.
“There was a public hearing on this file before the Public Safety and Health Committee. There was public testimony in favor and against the file.
“The file passed the council unanimously and I understand it has been signed by the mayor.
“We are doing everything we can to quell the violence and disorder that has plagued the downtown entertainment districts. MPD and other stakeholders testified that food trucks were a contributing factor to this violence and disorder.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated to include Bauman’s statement.
The Source: FOX6 News reviewed the Common Council’s meeting and spoke to people on Water Street.
7 Brew to open three Milwaukee-area stands
7 Brew is expanding with three new coffee stands in the Milwaukee area, offering energy drinks, smoothies, and unique coffee options.
The rapidly growing coffee chain 7 Brew has opened a new location in Milwaukee, bringing the drive-thru beverage brand its first — but not last — spot in the city.
On Thursday, April 23, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the location, at 350 W. Layton Ave.
The business will celebrate its opening with a “Swag Day” T-shirt giveaway for customers who purchase a large drink on Saturday, May 2.
“Milwaukee is such a vibrant and welcoming city, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it,” said Tommy Pennington, a local 7 Brew franchisee.
Other 7-Brew locations will open later this spring or summer at 3702 S. 27th St. in Milwaukee and 5265 N. Port Washington Road in Glendale. They’ll join 13 current Wisconsin locations, including in Brookfield and West Bend.
Founded in 2017, the company offers coffee, energy drinks, smoothies, sodas and teas on the menus at each location.
By 2023, 7 Brew opened more than 100 stands and, by 2025, the number of locations increased to 500.
Milwaukee Wave coach Marcio Leite on goalkeeper Jerry Perez’s offense
Milwaukee Wave Marcio Leite tells the origin story of the rookie goalkeepr who has become a serious scoring threat in the MASL.
After rallying to win its first two series in the MASL playoffs following losses in Game 1, the Milwaukee Wave will have an opportunity to do it one more time.
This time the championship is on the line.
The Wave scored seven unanswered goals – albeit three of them into an untended net in the final 78 seconds – in beating the short-handed San Diego Sockers 7-2 on April 24 at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California.
Midfielder Alex Sanchez scored what proved to be the winning goal midway through the third quarter when he booted the ball over the Sockers wall on a restart from the top of arc.
“I think just a change in attitude and mentality,” Wave goalkeeper Jerry Perez said in a television interview regarding the difference in Game 2 compared to the 5-4 loss in the series opener. “Them coming to our home and just taking over at our place, we wanted to do the same coming to theirs.
“The fans also, amazing atmosphere. That’s what a final’s all about.”
In advancing past the Empire Strykers and Baltimore Blast, the Wave had to win a 15-minute knockout game at home, but this time it is on the road and will have to prevail over a full 60 minutes April 27 on San Diego’s blue turf.
For Game 3, San Diego will get back three players who were out for disciplinary actions related to incidents two nights earlier in Milwaukee.
Sockers captain Cesar Cerda was given a red card after the game, resulting in an automatic one-game suspension, for kicking Wave defender Tony Walls in the groin. Midfielder Luiz Morales and forward Jesus Pacheco were suspended for their involvement in a clash with spectators at the UWM Panther Arena that followed Cerda’s kick and subsequent shoving between the teams. Additionally, Stefan Mijatovic was kicked out of the league for his role in the postgame skirmish with specators.
While the Wave escaped Game 1 with no players being punished, it did suffer a significant setback in warmups when Oscar Flores, the league’s newcomer of the year and Milwaukee’s playoff point-scoring leader, went down with a quadriceps injury.
The Sockers got goals from two unlikely sources, defenders Ben Ramin and Sean Callahan, in the second quarter. Ramin’s goal was his first of the season and Callahan’s his fifth.
But two of the Wave’s most familiar names knotted the score in a span of 30 seconds straddling halftime. Forty-two-year-old forward Ian Bennett took a cross off the wall and buried it with 20 seconds left in the first half, and 39-year-old Max Ferdinand scored a run down the right side just 10 seconds after the second-half kickoff.
Sanchez’s winner came 9:34 into the third quarter on a ball neatly tucked into the upper right corner. Wave rookie forward Lucas Nesthaus, a Pewaukee native who played for Marquette University in the fall, added insurance at 6:17 of the fourth on a breakaway with a bicycle kick assist from Cesar Correa.
Perez got plenty of help from the posts and crossbar in keeping San Diego off the board.
Then Javier Steinwascher scored a long roller after the Sockers had pulled Chris Toth for a sixth attacker, and Correa connected twice into the empty net.
The Wave will be chasing its eight title after most recently winning the MASL’s Ron Newman Cup in 2019. San Diego is trying to win it 17th championship across various indoor leagues, its third in the MASL and its first since 2022.
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