The pursuit of a Milwaukee Bucks D-League team continues in Racine County, where officials are considering their arena options.
Bidding for a forthcoming Bucks’ entry in the D-League has become competitive. In June, five Wisconsin communities were confirmed to be in the mix, and more news emerged this week when one of those prospective locations–La Crosse–was eliminated from consideration by the Bucks. At this point, it looks like Racine County is still an option, along with Grand Chute (Appleton/Fox Cities), Oshkosh, and Sheboygan.
In Racine County, the question is what would take to construct a venue to host the D-League squad plus other events. A feasibility study on the project is forthcoming, according to county executive Jonathan Delagrave. More from the Journal Times:
Delagrave said that the county will contribute roughly $4,500 to the study, which will be conducted by a firm that “specializes in these types of developments” but did not name the firm. Racine is the closest of as many as nine cities the Bucks have contacted about housing their new minor league affiliate.
The County Board will be presented with the full results of the study a few days before its Aug. 23 meeting, Delagrave said. The board will also consider funding the study, which will already have taken place, at that meeting.
He added that the City of Racine and Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce (RAMAC) are partnering with the county on the study.
The Bucks passed up on a proposal in La Crosse that called for renovations to the existing La Crosse Center. While the closer proximity to Milwaukee of other cities was cited as a reason for the team’s decision, it seems that the Bucks will have new arena options elsewhere.
