Politics & Government
Waukesha Officials Mulling New Ballpark Funding Plan
After pushback about a plan to finance a Northwoods League minor-league baseball park, officials are stepping back into the batter's box.
WAUKESHA, WI -- After pushback about a plan to finance a Northwoods League minor-league baseball park by extending one of the city's existing Tax Incremental Financing Districts, city officials have gone back to the drawing board to come up with a new way to fund the construction of the 2,500 seat ballpark.
According to a report in Ballpark Digest, Waukesha has been working with Big Top Waukesha on the project proposed for Mindolia Park.
According to a Journal Sentinel report from Aug. 2018, the City of Waukesha proposed funding up to $11.5 million to build the complex, with Big Top chipping in $500,000. A majority of the city funding would have come through extending the boundaries of TIF District 14. The TIF district would have been an extension of one that began with the construction of the Shoppes at Fox River.
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Extending the TIF district would have to go before the five-seat Joint Review Board for approval. Ballpark Digest says that two organizations on that board - The Waukesha School District and Waukesha County - were not in favor of extending the TIF district.
According to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report, city officials are mulling the creation of a new TIF district - a plan that would have to clear multiple hurdles in order to pass muster.
Find out what's happening in Waukeshafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Under the proposal, Big Top Baseball would lease the city-owned park starting in 2020, and continue for a period of 15 years. Big Top would pay Waukesha $150,000 a year for 15 years with a one-percent rate increase each successive year.
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Love it or Hate it? Mindiola Park Stadium Plans
Earlier in 2018, Big Top drew heavy criticism from local activists after attempting to place the stadium at Frame Park.
"A baseball stadium can be built anywhere in the City of Waukesha on over 300 acres of public park land. However, this for-profit business wants it on the best real estate with the highest value in the city of Waukesha. Why not, they are renters," Save Frame Park stated online.
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