Venue News: Bucks Announce Arena Deal; Redskins Remove Seats From FedEx Field for Third Time

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker announces a deal for new $500M Milwaukee Bucks arena, writes the Associated Press. Taxpayers would pick up half the cost of a $500 million arena for the Milwaukee Bucks under a financial deal that would rely on current and former team owners for the rest. Walker has argued for months that it will cost the state more in lost income-tax revenue if the NBA team leaves Milwaukee than it will to pay for a new downtown arena. The plan Walker spelled out includes $250 million already committed by the Bucks’ current and former owners. The other half will come from taxpayers, a contribution capped at $250 million, with the team bearing any responsibility for cost overruns. The taxpayer cost would grow to an estimated $400 million over 20 years with interest…

…The Washington Redskins, who a few seasons ago boasted a waiting list for season tickets of more than 200,000 names, have removed thousands of seats from FedEx Field for the third time in five seasons, further decreasing the capacity of what was once the National Football League’s largest stadium. According to the Washington Post, the move follows two of the worst seasons in modern Redskins history, with the team amassing a record of 7-25 amid infighting and dysfunction, and fans threatening to stop paying for the product…

…Arizona State University, in the midst of an extensive renovation of Sun Devil Stadium, got the green light Thursday to finish designs and negotiate a construction price for the last two phases of the project, writes AZ Central. The first phase is well under way with the removal of the upper-deck seats in the northwest and northeast end zones. That phase should wrap up later this summer. The $256 million project is being done in phases so the football team can continue to play in the 57-year-old stadium. The entire project is expected to be finished before the 2017 football season…

…The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Executive Board (EB) has confirmed the venue locations for another eight sports at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, according to olympic.org. It is the second major step in the venue master plan review undertaken by the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee. It follows the recommendations of the IOC’s Evaluation Commission and the unanimous approval by the IOC Members of Olympic Agenda 2020. The venue proposals were developed by Tokyo 2020 after close collaboration with the relevant International Federations and in line with Tokyo 2020’s Games vision. This decision is expected to result in savings of approximately USD $700 million from the revised Tokyo 2020 construction budget…

…A North Texas school district’s $60 million high school football stadium is set to reopen for graduation after being closed due to significant structural defects, writes CBS News. Allen Independent School District’s Eagle Stadium is scheduled to be ready for graduation Friday. Last year, a report released by the district revealed cracks and other structural flaws in several areas of the stadium, including the concourse, press box and south scoreboard. CBSDFW.com reported the cracks were first noticed when the stadium originally opened. Since that time, those cracks multiplied and grew wider — in places they are one-quarter of an inch to three-quarters of an inch wide. The contractor and architectural firm paying for the repairs say the cost to fix the stadium has exceeded $10 million…

… The idea is simple: get as many as 80,000 people into MetLife Stadium as quickly and efficiently as possible in the most secure manner, writes the Associated Press. Beginning last week, the home of the New York Giants and Jets and site of dozens of other mega-events will use walk-through metal detectors at all gates. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, no more wanding or pat-downs.

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