In 1977, the Marquette University men’s basketball team won a national championship at the MECCA Arena, presently known as UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
Now, the status of that historic championship venue is uncertain.
After a study was requested on Wisconsin Center District properties in July, questions arose about the future of Panther Arena and the adjoining Miller High Life Theatre. The study, conducted by Chicago-based consulting firm Hunden Partners, was meant to gather information for WCD to determine the best use for its properties.
The arena and adjoining theatre both made the list, alongside the vacant site of the old Milwaukee Public Museum. Results of the study will be presented to the WCD board of directors in January, where further action will be taken.
WCD has been adamant that nothing about the study is concrete and that the results are merely a suggestion for the best path.
“Hunden Partners has not been directed in any way to reach an outcome with their study,” the district told the Wire in an email.
Despite this, District 4 Alderman and WCD board member Robert Bauman requested a historical designation for Panther Arena and the Miller High Life Theatre. This would provide an extra layer of protection against the threat of demolition.
On Nov. 3, the Historic Preservation Commission unanimously voted to recommend both venues for historic status. Milwaukee’s Common Council will be the ultimate decision-maker, with the council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee making considerations in the upcoming weeks.
While the designation won’t prevent demolition, it will require a certificate of appropriateness from the property owner. The process of attaining this certification would open opportunities for at least two public hearings before the preservation commission and zoning committee.
“Stakeholders and regular citizens should be able to weigh in on any future demolition plans,” Bauman said in a statement.
WCD will review Hunden Partners’ suggestions upon completion of the study, after which any development plans will be subject to discussion with the district’s board and key stakeholders.
UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, currently home of the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals, indoor soccer league Milwaukee Wave and UW-Milwaukee basketball, once served as home court for the Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette men’s basketball.
The arena, once known as the MECCA, opened in 1950 as Milwaukee Arena.
Marquette spent 38 seasons there, one of which led to its only national championship in 1977 under head coach Al McGuire. The Bucks held residency from their inaugural season in 1968 to 1988, when the team moved to the newly built Bradley Center with Marquette.
The Miller High Life Theatre was built in 1909 and originally named the Milwaukee Auditorium. For over a century, the theatre has hosted hundreds of events ranging from a Dolly Parton concert to a speech from Theodore Roosevelt.
This story was written by Lilly Peacock. She can be reached at [email protected].
