MILWAUKEE — For the first time in months, there are tangible signs of life for a development in downtown Milwaukee that could include a 8,000 seat soccer stadium.
A posting by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue on February 21st indicates the seven-acre parcel of land at North 8th Street and West Michigan Street has been sold by West Michigan Investments, LLC, a Bear Real Estate Group affiliate, to MDC Iron District LLC, which is an affiliate of Milwaukee Development Corp.
“We are excited to be working with a great community partner like the MDC to bring the Iron District development to life and bring professional soccer to Milwaukee,” Milwaukee Pro Soccer Chief Operations Officer Conor Caloia tells WTMJ in a statement. “We continue to make progress on the project both from a funding and development perspective and we look forward to sharing more information on project updates later this Spring.”
MDC is a nonprofit subsidiary of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. “A key pillar of our strategy is the livability of our region and to retain and attract talent. Although there is still work to do, there’s tremendous momentum to get this project going and continue the record investment in the Milwaukee region” said MMAC President Dale Kooyenga in a statement to WTMJ Tuesday.
The deed lists the sale price at 9.3 million dollars, the same amount as an American Rescue Plan Act grant earmarked for the project by Governor Tony Evers in 2023.
The Milwaukee Business Journal reported Monday Bear CEO S.R. Mills anticipates breaking ground on the 8,000-seat stadium and connected hotel and events venue by early to mid-summer; Mills also says the project will still be completed in time for the expected 2026 United Soccer League Championship season. The first portion of the project, the 99-unit Michigan Commons Apartments, was completed in late 2024 at a cost of 30 million dollars.
Word on the project from Milwaukee Pro Soccer themselves remains limited. The organization announced a “Name The Club” fan vote in 2024 after narrowing down the list of monikers to 10 finalists in 2023. Since then, no word on a team identity has been revealed. The team also has not posted on their X account since May of 2024, or thier Facebook page since last September.
WTMJ has reached out to Chief Operating Officer Conor Calioa for comment but has not heard back.
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