Bradley Center
| The B.C. | |
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| Address | 1001 North Fourth Street |
|---|---|
| Location | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 43°2′37″N 87°55′1″W / 43.04361°N 87.91694°WCoordinates: 43°2′37″N 87°55′1″W / 43.04361°N 87.91694°W |
| Owner | Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation |
| Capacity | Wrestling: 18,800 Concerts: 20,000 College basketball: 18,850 Basketball: 18,633 (1988–1997) 18,717 (1997–present) Ice hockey: 17,845 Indoor soccer: 17,800 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 20, 1986 |
| Opened | October 1, 1988 |
| Construction cost | $91 million ($184 million in 2016 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | HOK Sport (now Populous) Kahler Slater Torphy Architects Zimmerman Design Group[2] |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti[3] |
| Services engineer | M-E Engineers, Inc.[4] |
| General contractor | Huber, Hunt & Nichols[5] |
| Tenants | |
| Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) (1988–2018) Milwaukee Admirals (IHL/AHL) (1988–2016) Marquette Golden Eagles (NCAA) (1988–present) Milwaukee Wave (MISL) (1988–2003) Milwaukee Mustangs (AFL) (1994–2001) Milwaukee Mustangs (AFL) (2009–2012) |
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The Bradley Center (known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center under sponsorship agreements) is an indoor arena located on the northwest corner of North 4th and West State Streets in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States.
It is home to the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA and the Marquette University men's basketball team. It is also the former home of the Milwaukee Wave of the MISL, from 1988 to 2003, the original Milwaukee Mustangs of the AFL from 1994 to 2001, along with the second incarnation of the team from 2009 to 2012, the Badger Hockey Showdown from 1989 to 2002, and the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL (and formerly of the IHL) from 1988 to 2016.
The arena employs about 50 full-time employees, mostly tradespeople and about 700 part-time employees to help during events.[6]
After the new Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center opens in September 2018, the Bradley Center will be demolished to make way for future development.[6]
Contents
History[edit]
The arena opened on October 1, 1988, with an exhibition hockey game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Edmonton Oilers. At $90 million, it was meant to be a modern replacement of its current cross-street neighbor, The MECCA (now the UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena), built in 1950. The arena was built as an attempt to attract an expansion franchise for the National Hockey League, though this never occurred, and the International Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals (later moving to the American Hockey League) used the arena for the majority of its existence. The MECCA, during much of its time operating as an NBA facility, had the league's smallest seating capacity, holding just over 11,000 people. Funds to build the Center were donated as a gift to the State of Wisconsin by broadcaster/Admirals owner Lloyd Pettit and his wife, Jane Bradley Pettit, in memory of Jane's late father, Harry Lynde Bradley of the Allen-Bradley company.
Despite being one of the premier NBA facilities when completed in 1988, it is currently one of the oldest active NBA arenas, only behind Madison Square Garden in New York City, and Oracle Arena in Oakland, though both have been renovated and the latter is scheduled to be replaced by the Chase Center in 2019. The donation from the Pettits did not include provision for the building's long-term capital needs or annual operating expenses. While the facility is self-sufficient, in recent years its tenants have been at a disadvantage compared with other NBA teams due to the arrangement.[7]
For several years, former Bucks owner and former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl proposed constructing a new, state-of-the-art downtown arena, but the community reaction to the idea of a publicly funded arena was mostly negative. In 2009, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle included a provision in the state's capital budget seeking $5 million in state bonding support to renovate the Bradley Center. The Bradley Center's board of directors told state officials that the building needs $23 million in renovations, so they reportedly agreed to raise the remaining $18 million on their own.[8]
During the summer of 2010 the arena's longtime Sony Jumbotron scoreboard was replaced with a new 3.5-million-pixel LED unit manufactured by TS Sports and Lighthouse Technologies, and was put into service in October 2010 at the start of the Admirals season. Unlike many other NBA and NHL scoreboards, the bottom panel also has an LED screen, allowing display of many images above the floor itself rather than a static image of a sponsor or team logo.[9]
On May 21, 2012, the Bucks' then-owner Herb Kohl and representatives from BMO Harris Bank announced that the bank had officially purchased the naming rights for the Bradley Center, and it would now be called the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Milwaukee Bucks will play their final home game there on April 9, 2018 against the Orlando Magic.[10]
Replacement[edit]
On September 18, 2013, then-deputy NBA commissioner Adam Silver toured the arena and found it unbefitting of an NBA team. Silver said that the building was a few thousand square feet short of NBA standards, and also lacked numerous amenities.[11] The NBA issued a mandate requiring the Bucks to relocate, or be close to completion of a new facility by 2017.
On April 16, 2014, Bucks' owner Herb Kohl announced an agreement to sell the franchise to New York City hedge-fund investors Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens. The deal included provisions for $100 million each from Kohl and the new ownership group, for a total of $200 million, toward the construction of a new downtown arena.[12]
On July 15, 2015, the Wisconsin Senate approved funding for the new Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center by a 21-10 margin, and on July 28, 2015, the Wisconsin State Assembly approved funding by a 52-34 margin.[13] On August 12, 2015, Governor Walker signed the arena spending plan at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin.[14]
During summer of 2016 the Admirals moved to the Panther Arena and the Bradley Center was modified to allow normal operation for two-years while making space for the construction of the new arena to the north. The arena's icemaking plant and HVAC buildings were demolished and the arena's cooling facilities moved to a smaller facility away from the construction site. As the arena will no longer host regular hockey games, it will only need to create ice for Disney on Ice performances in 2017 and 2018 and can use portable icemaking equipment. Other modifications include a new loading dock and trash disposal facilities on the east side of the structure.[15]
Notable events[edit]
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College sports[edit]
The arena hosted the NCAA Frozen Four finals in 1993, 1997 and 2006 and the Great Midwest Conference men's basketball tournament in 1995.
The Bradley Center was a host site for second and third-round games in the 2014 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and in 2017, for the sixth time since 1992.
MMA & Professional wrestling[edit]
The Bradley Center has been a fixture for World Wrestling Entertainment since February 1989 (then WWF) when it hosted The Main Event II, where the Mega Powers of Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan disbanded, setting up a match between the two stars at WrestleMania V. Shortly thereafter, WWE's ratings fell and they began using the smaller MECCA for shows.
In the early 2000s, WWE returned to the Bradley Center for pay-per-views No Way Out (2002), Taboo Tuesday (2004), Elimination Chamber (2012), and Fastlane (2017). The Bradley Center also regularly hosts episodes of Raw and SmackDown Live.
The BMO Harris Bradley Center also played host to the first UFC event in Wisconsin: UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle on August 14, 2011. UFC 164 was also held at the arena on August 31, 2013.
Concerts[edit]
| Date | Artist | Opening act(s) | Tour / Concert name | Attendance | Revenue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 18, 1988 | Amy Grant | — | — | 6,679 / 14,050 | $106,093 | |
| October 28, 1988 | Van Halen | Private Life | OU812 | 10,924 / 14,050 | $198,550 | |
| December 18, 1988 | Luther Vandross | Anita Baker | — | 12,300 / 18,000 | $287,875 | |
| April 1, 1989 | Bon Jovi | Skid Row | New Jersey Syndicate | 17,994 / 17,994 | $334,685 | |
| November 29, 1989 | Mötley Crüe | Warrant | Dr. Feelgood | — | — | |
| January 10, 1990 | New Kids on the Block | Cover Girls | Hangin' Tough | 18,735 / 18,735 | $346,807 | |
| July 27, 1990 | Janet Jackson | — | Rhythm Nation | 15,491 / 15,884 | $298,860 | |
| September 4, 1990 | Kenny Rogers | Dolly Parton | — | — | — | |
| October 28, 1990 | MC Hammer | — | — | — | — | |
| October 31, 1990 | ZZ Top | Colin James | Recycler | 12,140 / 12,140 | $226,420 | |
| November 11, 1990 | New Kids on the Block | Perfect Gentlemen | The Magic Summer | 17,900 / 17,900 | $437,850 | |
| December 3, 1990 | Heart | Cheap Trick | Brigade | — | — | |
| January 24, 1991 | Neil Young | Sonic Youth | Smell The Horse | — | — | |
| February 18, 1991 | Paul Simon | — | Born at the Right Time | 10,445 / 12,771 | $247,225 | |
| February 28, 1991 | Bell Biv DeVoe | Johnny Gill | — | 12,696 / 13,000 | $273,450 | |
| August 16, 1991 | Gloria Estefan | — | Into The Light | — | — | |
| November 5, 1991 | Metallica | — | Wherever We May Roam | — | — | |
| November 10, 1991 | Rush | Eric Johnson | Roll the Bones | — | — | |
| November 23, 1991 | Jerry Garcia Band | — | — | — | — | |
| November 29, 1991 | Paula Abdul | Color Me Badd | Under My Spell | — | — | |
| December 31, 1991 | Luther Vandross | — | — | — | — | |
| May 16, 1992 | Eric Clapton | — | — | 18,699 / 18,699 | $478,635 | |
| May 28, 1992 | MC Hammer | — | — | — | — | |
| November 3, 1992 | Bruce Springsteen | — | World Tour | 17,720 / 17,720 | $443,000 | |
| November 5, 1992 | Frank Sinatra | Shirley MacLaine | — | 9,557 / 19,383 | — | |
| November 30, 1992 | KISS | Great White | Revenge | — | — | |
| December 23, 1992 | Kenny Rogers | — | — | 5,500 / 14,000 | — | |
| January 11, 1993 | Bobby Brown | — | — | — | — | |
| April 17, 1993 | Alan Jackson | — | — | — | — | |
| April 21, 1993 | Elton John | — | The One | 18,444 / 18,444 | $461,100 | |
| September 22, 1993 | Luther Vandross | — | — | — | — | |
| October 19, 1993 | Depeche Mode | — | Devotional | — | — | |
| November 30, 1993 | Bette Midler | — | Experience the Divine | — | — | |
| December 6, 1993 | Crystal Gayle | Eddie Rabbitt | — | — | — | |
| February 5, 1994 | Janet Jackson | Tony! Toni! Toné! | Janet | — | — | |
| March 15, 1994 | Billy Joel | — | River of Dreams | 19,017 / 19,017 | $558,052 | |
| April 17, 1994 | Rush | Primus | Counterparts | — | — | |
| July 18, 1994 | Meat Loaf | Fury in the Slaughterhouse | Everything Louder | — | — | |
| July 19, 1994 | Crosby, Stills & Nash | Fleetwood Mac | — | — | — | |
| July 30, 1994 | ZZ Top | John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers | Antenna | — | — | |
| October 24, 1994 | Eric Clapton | Jimmie Vaughan | — | — | — | |
| October 29, 1994 | Vince Gill | — | — | — | — | |
| October 30, 1994 | James Taylor | — | — | — | — | |
| April 10, 1995 | Eagles | — | Hell Freezes Over | 14,358 / 14,358 | $1,039,483 | Gross record |
| April 13, 1995 | Boyz II Men | — | — | — | — | |
| May 1, 1995 | Jimmy Page & Robert Plant | The Tragically Hip | — | — | — | |
| June 4, 1995 | Melissa Etheridge | — | — | — | — | |
| June 14, 1995 | Yanni | — | — | — | — | |
| August 11, 1995 | Reba McEntire | — | — | — | — | |
| August 28, 1995 | Diana Ross | — | Always is Forever | — | — | |
| September 28, 1995 | Elton John | — | Made in England | — | — | |
| October 13, 1995 | Brooks & Dunn | — | — | — | — | |
| November 12, 1995 | Loretta Lynn | — | — | — | — | |
| March 5, 1996 | AC/DC | — | Ballbreaker | — | — | |
| April 1, 1996 | Rod Stewart | — | A Spanner in the Works | 12,191 / 19,383 | $457,842 | |
| April 11-13, 1996 | Garth Brooks | ��� | — | 56,726 / 56,726 | $998,554 | |
| April 27, 1996 | Bob Seger | — | It's a Mystery | 17,208 / 19,324 | $484,709 | |
| July 22, 1996 | The Cure | — | The Swing | — | — | |
| August 10, 1996 | KISS | D Generation | Alive/Worldwide | — | — | |
| August 30, 1996 | Reba McEntire | — | — | — | — | |
| October 1, 1996 | The Smashing Pumpkins | Grant Lee Buffalo | Infinite Sadness | 10,764 / 10,764 | $269,100 | |
| October 2, 1996 | Melissa Etheridge | — | — | — | — | |
| October 12-13, 1996 | Neil Diamond | — | — | 35,550 / 38,766 | $1,025,008 | |
| October 18, 1996 | Tim McGraw | — | — | — | — | |
| November 1, 1996 | Rush | — | Test for Echo | — | — | |
| November 10, 1996 | The Charlie Daniels Band | — | — | — | — | |
| December 13, 1996 | Vince Gill | — | — | — | — | |
| February 14, 1997 | Metallica | Corrosion of Conformity | Poor Touring Me | — | — | |
| March 3, 1997 | Toni Braxton | Kenny G | — | — | — | |
| April 10, 1997 | Phil Collins | — | The Trip into the Light | 13,984 / 17,330 | $556,479 | |
| May 29, 1997 | Barry Manilow | — | — | — | — | |
| August 29, 1997 | Reba McEntire | Brooks & Dunn | — | 13,815 / 15,500 | $552,600 | |
| December 17, 1997 | Prince | Graham Central Station | Jam of the Year | — | — | |
| April 6, 1998 | Eric Clapton | — | Pilgrim | — | — | |
| April 21, 1998 | Yanni | — | — | — | — | |
| April 24, 1998 | Elton John | — | The Big Picture | — | — | |
| June 10, 1998 | Jimmy Page & Robert Plant | — | Walking Into Everywhere | — | — | |
| July 28, 1998 | Janet Jackson | Usher | The Velvet Rope | — | — | |
| August 1, 1998 | Reba McEntire | Brooks & Dunn | — | — | — | |
| November 3, 1998 | Aerosmith | Seven Mary Three | Nine Lives | — | — | |
| November 15, 1998 | Randy Travis | — | — | — | — | |
| November 24, 1998 | Billy Joel | — | — | — | — | |
| November 29, 1998 | Charlie Daniels Band | — | — | — | — | |
| December 14, 1998 | Dave Matthews Band | — | — | — | — | |
| December 20, 1998 | KISS | Econoline Crush | Psycho Circus | — | — | |
| February 19, 1999 | The Rolling Stones | Wide Mouth Mason | No Security | 17,222 / 17,222 | $1,749,164 | |
| March 26, 1999 | Celine Dion | — | Let's Talk About Love | 18,765 / 18,765 | $1,019,734 | |
| April 25, 1999 | Marilyn Manson | — | Rock Is Dead | — | — | |
| August 2, 1999 | Cher | Cyndi Lauper Wild Orchid |
Do You Believe? | — | — | |
| October 8, 1999 | John Mellencamp | — | — | — | — | |
| November 4, 1999 | Backstreet Boys | — | Into the Millennium | — | — | |
| November 9, 1999 | Bruce Springsteen | — | Reunion | — | — | |
| November 15, 1999 | Bette Midler | — | The Divine Miss Millennium | — | — | |
| November 21, 1999 | Glen Campbell | — | — | — | — | |
| January 3, 2000 | Metallica | Kid Rock | M2K | 19,239 / 19,239 | $869,915 | |
| April 17, 2000 | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | — | CSNY2K | 12,709 / 13,500 | $998,584 | |
| May 24, 2000 | Tina Turner | Lionel Richie | Twenty Four Seven | 14,023 / 17,784 | $853,893 | |
| September 2, 2010 | Lady Gaga | Semi Precious Weapons | The Monster Ball Tour | — | — | |
| June 8, 2011 | Taylor Swift | — | Speak Now World Tour | 13,748 / 13,748 | $897,042 | The event was broadcast on national television during the 2011 CMT Music Awards when Swift accepted the award for Video of the Year via satellite. She did not attend the awards ceremony in order to perform the concert. |
| October 21, 2012 | Justin Bieber | Carly Rae Jepsen | Believe Tour | 14,957 / 14,957 | $1,065,557 | |
| January 9, 2014 | P!nk | New Politics | The Truth About Love Tour | 14,663 / 14,663 | $1,168,427 | |
| February 28, 2015 | Ariana Grande | Rixton Cashmere Cat |
The Honeymoon Tour | 10,411 / 10,411 | $484,877 | |
| September 25–26, 2015 | Garth Brooks Trisha Yearwood |
Karyn Rochelle | World Tour | — | — | |
| March 3, 2016 | Bruce Springsteen | — | The River Tour 2016 | 17,653 / 17,653 | $1,969,655 | This is his eighth time playing the venue, the most of any artist.[16] |
| April 14, 2017 | Eric Church | — | Holdin' My Own Tour | 17,931 / 17,931 | $1,102,384 | |
| May 13, 2017 | Tears for Fears Hall and Oates |
Allen Stone | — | 9,915 / 11,063 | $772,162 | [17] |
| June 16, 2017 | Tim McGraw and Faith Hill | High Valley | Soul2Soul | 12,137 / 12,137 | $974,098 | |
| July 25, 2017 | Christina Aguilera | — | — | — | — | The Northwestern Mutual 137th annual meeting |
| July 29, 2017 | Roger Waters | — | Us + Them | — | — | |
| October 22, 2017 | Janet Jackson | — | State of the World Tour | — | — | |
| December 4, 2017 | Katy Perry | Purity Ring | Witness: The Tour | — | — |
Other events[edit]
- Early auditions for the tenth season of American Idol were held at the arena on July 21, 2010.
Images[edit]
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Southeast entrance.
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The arena set up for a Milwaukee Bucks game in 2005.
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The arena set up for a Milwaukee Admirals game in 2011.
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The arena set up for a Milwaukee Iron game in 2009.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
- ^ "2010–2011 Milwaukee Bucks Media Guide" (PDF). Milwaukee Bucks. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- ^ "Sports & Entertainment" (PDF). Thornton Tomasetti. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- ^ "Projects: Professional Sports Arenas". M-E Engineers, Inc. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
- ^ "BMO Harris Bradley Center". Ballparks.com. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- ^ a b Daykin, Tom (June 13, 2016). "As Bradley Center awaits wrecking ball, employees look to new arena". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Gannett Company. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
- ^ Walker, Don (December 13, 2008). "Bradley Center a Home-Court Disadvantage". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ Walker, Don (March 26, 2009). "Doyle Budget Includes Help for Bradley Center". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ Walker, Don (June 10, 2010). "Bradley Center Unveils Details of New Scoreboard". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ Walker, Don (May 21, 2012). "Naming Rights for Bradley Center Sold to BMO Harris". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ Kirchen, Rich (September 18, 2013). "Incoming NBA Commissioner Silver Says Bradley Center Unfit for League". Milwaukee Business Journal. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- ^ Walkers, Don (April 17, 2014). "Kohl Sells Bucks for $550 Million; $200 Million Pledged for New Arena". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- ^ Bayatpour, A.J. (July 28, 2015). "Wisconsin Assembly approves Milwaukee Bucks arena funding deal; Gov. Walker says he’ll sign it". WITI News. Associated Press.
- ^ O'Brien, Brendan (August 12, 2015). "Wisconsin's Walker signs NBA arena spending plan for Milwaukee". Yahoo! Sports. Reuters.
- ^ Daykin, Tom (4 June 2016). "Demolitions, Bradley Center renovations set stage for Bucks arena". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "concert announcement: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band" (Press release). BMO Harris Bradley Center. December 4, 2015.
- ^ Levy, Piet (May 14, 2017). "Hall & Oates branches out, Tears for Fears keeps it tight at Milwaukee double-bill". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Gannett Company. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
It made for an odd pairing, but the one-two punch of Hall & Oates and Tears for Fears packed the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Saturday night.
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to BMO Harris Bradley Center. |
- BMOHarrisBradleyCenter.com
- BMO Harris Bradley Center – Bucks.com
- BMO Harris Bradley Center – Marquette University Athletics
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by MECCA Arena |
Home of the Milwaukee Bucks 1988–2018 |
Succeeded by Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center |
| Preceded by Knickerbocker Arena Albany, New York |
Host of the Frozen Four 1993 |
Succeeded by Saint Paul Civic Center St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Preceded by Riverfront Coliseum Cincinnati |
Host of the Frozen Four 1997 |
Succeeded by FleetCenter Boston |
| Preceded by Value City Arena Columbus, Ohio |
Host of the Frozen Four 2006 |
Succeeded by Scottrade Center St. Louis, Missouri |
- 1988 establishments in Wisconsin
- Arena football venues
- Bank of Montreal
- Basketball venues in Wisconsin
- College basketball venues in the United States
- College ice hockey venues in the United States
- Indoor ice hockey venues in Wisconsin
- Indoor soccer venues in the United States
- Marquette Golden Eagles basketball venues
- Milwaukee Admirals
- Milwaukee Bucks venues
- National Basketball Association venues
- Sports venues completed in 1988
- Sports venues in Milwaukee
- Indoor arenas in Wisconsin
