Any news on Milwaukee/Krause?

[Stifflizard]

It's been a while since anyone has mentioned Milwaukee as a possible expansion site. I know Krause was very involved a few years ago, had political and financial backing (with investors) all but ready to go. Anyone know what he's been up to as far as getting a deal together?

[Minnman]

It's been a while since anyone has mentioned Milwaukee as a possible expansion site. I know Krause was very involved a few years ago, had political and financial backing (with investors) all but ready to go. Anyone know what he's been up to as far as getting a deal together?

The investors backed out post 9-11. Also, the proposal got chewed up in a battle between the Bradley Center and Wisconsin Center (the space downtown on which Krause wanted his stadium built was controlled by the latter). The Milwaukee mayor was unable or unwilling to push these two parties to an agreement. This delayed and delayed and delayed the Milwaukee MLS project. Then 9-11 knocked the stuffing out of the group of investors Krause has assembled.

Krause now owns Milwaukee's indoor and A-League soccer franchises. But I doubt he has the cash (or access to other people's cash) to make Milwaukee MLS a reality.

[swedcrip34]

Is Krause Brazilian?

[SYoshonis]

I found this the other day:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/q/qpr/3666517.stm

Krause apparently has at least some cash to invest in a soccer team....

[jri]

I found this the other day:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/q/qpr/3666517.stm

Krause apparently has at least some cash to invest in a soccer team....

File this under "I want to lose my ass in (a business I don't understand)"...

[passtheblizz]

The funny thing is that even people who knew nothing else about soccer thought that the MLS was coming to Milwaukee for a while. There were drawings of the stadium and everything. They were even going to redo a section of the highway to improve the area. I was under the impression that it was the MLS that backed-off, not Krause, He bought the Rampage with partial hopes that he could one day make the Wave an MLS team.

[passtheblizz]

Sorry, I shouldn't write: "the MLS," only "MLS."

[PeterJ]

I'm not sure if this adds anything to what has already been said, but I recently read an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal in which Simon Borg, an MLS spokesman was interviewed and said that nothing came of Krause's and Commissioner Garber's talks, so Milwaukee was essentially dropped from the list. The biggest hole in Krause's proposal was not money, but lack of a definite stadium site. But Borg said that if stadium prospects come back in Milwaukee, then they'll be back talking.

[Fuegofan]

Site? Site is the only thing blocking it? There's tons of land in Milwaukee which could be used. If that's the issue then it looks to me like:
1) Does Krause have the money and the balls to do this?
2) Does the city want to support it?
3) Is Krause organized enough to put together a business plan which the city would take the bait?

[PeterJ]

Although yes, there is land in Milwaukee, there is not an abundance of sites that are suitable. The stadium needs to be in a centralized location, somewhere downtown. No investor is going to get on board if Krause proposes to put the stadium in some isolated piece of property cut off from the rest of downtown. Krause had his eyes on one site, near the Bradley Center which was the ideal location for such a stadium, but the Bradley Center group refused to lease the land. He had the financial backing.
I'm not so sure the people of Milwaukee were not in favor of the idea as much as the former Mayor, John Norquist was against it. Krause was being a bit obtuse about the precise location, which prevented the plans from ever materializing. I am from Milwaukee, and I know that he had the financial backing and plans for the stadium, I read about it almost daily in the paper. It all fell through when Krause and the Bradley Center group could not reach an agreement. Then MLS decided to push back expansion for another few years, which is giving Krause and his now uneasy investors a little more time.

[gothamite]

I think Milwaukee would be a great fit for MLS. It's a small market, which the league prefers, and soccer is a huge sport for kids there. There is a lot of interest that could easily translate into a fanbase.

[WVKeeper]

I think Milwaukee would be a great fit for MLS. It's a small market, which the league prefers, and soccer is a huge sport for kids there. There is a lot of interest that could easily translate into a fanbase.

Yep those kids really show up for those games "Sarcasm"

[Minnman]

Although yes, there is land in Milwaukee, there is not an abundance of sites that are suitable. The stadium needs to be in a centralized location, somewhere downtown. No investor is going to get on board if Krause proposes to put the stadium in some isolated piece of property cut off from the rest of downtown. Krause had his eyes on one site, near the Bradley Center which was the ideal location for such a stadium, but the Bradley Center group refused to lease the land. He had the financial backing.
I'm not so sure the people of Milwaukee were not in favor of the idea as much as the former Mayor, John Norquist was against it. Krause was being a bit obtuse about the precise location, which prevented the plans from ever materializing. I am from Milwaukee, and I know that he had the financial backing and plans for the stadium, I read about it almost daily in the paper. It all fell through when Krause and the Bradley Center group could not reach an agreement. Then MLS decided to push back expansion for another few years, which is giving Krause and his now uneasy investors a little more time.

Well, not quite. Then-Mayor Norquist was in favor of the project, but really didn't do anything to support it. There was also Journal-Sentinal editorial that supported the concept of Milwaukee MLS, and I believe the governor had also endorsed it. As regards the stadium site, the Bradley Center was using (as an undeveleoped staging area) the site upon which Krause wanted the stadium built. The BC had some pie in the sky ideas about maybe someday building a performing arts center on this land even though the Wisconsin Center was already renovating such a facility in the city, had its own tax revenue to finance its project and it wasn't at all clear that Milwaukee needed two such facilities. Norquist could have pushed the BC and WC into ending their silly fight, thereby opening up the possibility that Krause could have gotten the land for his stadium. But that never happened, the turf battle went on month after month. Then 9-11 happened, the economy turned sour and Krause's investors seemed to evaporate or at least got sick of waiting for things to clear up in Milwaukee. The whole sad tale was covered pretty well by the J-S's soccer guy Charles Gardener.

And, no, Krause is not Brazilian. Here's one of Gardener's articles (from July 2001) that gives some background on Krause and what he was trying to do. The article requires free registration to view:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/socc/jul01/krause23072201.asp

Also, no, Krause was not going to "redo a section of the highway to improve the area" related to the stadium project. A portion of a downtown Milwaukee's highway system was going to be torn down, and Krause wanted to build on land located next to the old highway.

[DjTannerr]

Just checking up on the Milwaukee rumor. I hope it happens. There is a huge potential for a fan base in Milwaukee. Kids love to play it; large kiddie leagues. Marquette and Brookfield high schools have been among the best in the nation for the past decade or so. And I believe UWM has a good program. Krause's Wave United have been on top, if not won, their leagues.

The site for the stadium fell through. From what I heard, the two potential spots were near the Bradley Center and where the strip of the Freeway was. The location near the BC is taken, I believe by the new Opera House or something. Something's there now. And the area by that used the be the freeway is going to be state of the art condeminiums. It would have been nice there. Right by Water Street (go to a game, then a bar). Maybe someone can find room on the South Side, in the huge Mexican area.

Oh yeah. and old goalkeeper for Tampa Bay Mutiny (Andy Kirk) came from Milwaukee..... thought I'd add that.

[Hattrix]

For the past two years I've driven up to Milwaukee for Fire games in the US Open Cup. In 2002, the Rampage defeated the Fire at the site in the southern suburbs. In 2003 the Fire beat the Wave at the Uline (sp?) Soccer Park. I really liked that facility. With a few improvements, it could easily seat 15K or more and be perfect for an MLS side. Plus, there would be one team that already has a well developed youth program in place.

So I don't see why there would be a need for a new stadium site.

[kebzach]

For the past two years I've driven up to Milwaukee for Fire games in the US Open Cup. In 2002, the Rampage defeated the Fire at the site in the southern suburbs. In 2003 the Fire beat the Wave at the Uline (sp?) Soccer Park. I really liked that facility. With a few improvements, it could easily seat 15K or more and be perfect for an MLS side. Plus, there would be one team that already has a well developed youth program in place.

So I don't see why there would be a need for a new stadium site.

Uihlein would not have nearly the infrastructure to handle 15K crowds.
Good Hope Road is too far removed from either 43 or 45 to accomodate that kind of traffic, even if there was a place to put all of those people at the site.