Oshkosh Arena Progresses

Despite a larger than projected budget, the new arena for the Wisconsin Herd in Oshkosh, Wis., is still set to open in time for the team’s first game in November.

Oshkosh Arena – Oshkosh Arena
The Oshkosh Arena, seen here in an artist rendering, is expected to open in November. The cost of the Wisconsin facility has “ballooned” from $14 million to $21 million but is still a mere pittance compared with the cost of the new arena in Milwaukee.

The Herd, a development team for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA’s G-League, is getting a new $21 million arena for the 2017-18 season. The price tag is a far cry from the Bucks’ new $524 million home that debuts next year.

The budget increased from an originally projected $14 million after it became clear the city had underestimated costs related to infrastructure development, additions to the original barebones plans and simply meeting the November deadline, according to the Fond du Lac Reporter.

Oshkosh is reportedly still short on funds for the infrastructure development and is seeking investors.

The project’s lead developer, Greg Pierce, told the paper the project is approximately 60 percent completed.

“We just kept adding stuff,” he said. “The problem we had is, we had very little time. My thing was, let’s get the building up first. We were able to get some changes in that I think will really enhance the look of it.”

Oshkosh Arena is slated to hold 3,500 for Herd games and 4,600 for other events, with 50-60 non-basketball events projected in the first year, according to WeAreGreenBay.com.

The arena will have free parking for the first five years courtesy of the credit union Verve, which is also sponsoring the VIP lounge.

Once operational, the venue will be run by Wendy Hielsberg, former executive director for the Oshkosh Convention and Visitors Bureau, according to the Oshkosh Northwestern.