Gov. Tony Evers signs stadium funding bill to keep Brewers in Milwaukee

Gov. Tony Evers signed a ballpark funding bill to help the Milwaukee Brewers repair their stadium over the next three decades.

The state is estimated to contribute roughly $360- million over the course of 27 years on taxes collected through player salaries.

The city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County will contribute $135-million, and the package also includes an additional $110-million from the Brewers.

The Brewers, for their part, will spend $110-million and extend their lease at the stadium through 2050, keeping Major League Baseball in its smallest market for another 27 years.

Every non-game event at American Family Field will now include a $2 ticket tax that will increase to $3 in 2033 and $4 in 2042, as well as an $8 surcharge on suite tickets that increases to $9 in 2033 and $10 in 2042.

Part of the plan includes winterizing American Family Field, a project estimated to cost about $25-million in an effort to host events year-round.

According to the Brewers, the stadium, which opened in 2001, which opened to replace the old county stadium, needs extensive repairs. The team argues that the stadium’s glass outfield doors, seats and concourses should be replaced and that luxury suites and the video scoreboard need upgrades. The stadium’s signature retractable roof, fire suppression systems, parking lots, elevators and escalators need work as well.

An analysis by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates the tax will generate roughly $20.7-million through 2050 and will decrease the state’s overall contribution.