Title: Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District: Construction of Milwaukee County Stadium and Miller Park Records
Inclusive Dates: 1883-2001 (bulk 1946-2001)

Creator:

• Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District

Call Number: Milwaukee Series 53; PH Milwaukee Series 53

Quantity: 5.4 cubic feet (12 archives boxes and 1 oversized flat box), 842 slides, 456 architectural drawings in 35 rolls, and 1.96 gigabytes (in 5 folders)

Repository:

Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries' Archives Department / Milwaukee Area Research Center; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections.

Archival Locations:

UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Records, 1883-2001 (bulk 1946-2001), of the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District (SEWPBPD), documenting the planning, construction, and maintenance of Milwaukee County Stadium (circa 1924-1996) and the planning and construction of Miller Park (circa 1986-2001). The SEWPBPD is a public corporation established by 1995 Wisconsin Act 56 to “... acquire, construct, maintain, improve, operate and manage baseball park facilities.”

Note:

Digital images of the presentation drawings are available on the Wisconsin Historical Images page of the Wisconsin Historical Society web site.

A user copy of the electronic records is available in DVD format at the Milwaukee Area Research Center.

Note:

There is a restriction on use of this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-milw0053

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In 1946 a resolution was passed by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors to conduct a study in support of a municipal stadium to be dedicated to Milwaukee veterans of WWII. The resulting County Stadium was originally designed as a home for the minor league American Association team Milwaukee Brewers, replacing their then-current venue, Borchert Field. Milwaukee County Municipal Stadium opened with the 1953 season. The Brewers never played on the field, ironically, as the major league Boston Braves relocated to Milwaukee in 1953 to become the Milwaukee Braves. The stadium was intended to be multi-use from the start, with facilities for both baseball and football.

The stadium was expanded the following year, and several times more before a study was commissioned in the 1980s to compare renovating the existing stadium and building a new stadium. Eventually it was decided to build a new stadium in the existing center field parking lot. Ground was broken for the new stadium on November 9, 1996. The new stadium, Miller Park (naming sponsor MillerCoors holds the license until 2020), was scheduled to open for the 2000 baseball season, but the collapse of the 'Big Blue' crane on July 14, 1999 set the project back. Miller Park opened on March 30, 2001 for an exhibition game between the Brewers and the Chicago White Sox.

1924	Land agreement between Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers and The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company (TMERLC), approved by General George Wood, for land that eventually became the site of Milwaukee County Stadium.
1925	Milwaukee County deeds a portion of Bluff Park land to TMERLC; again, the land eventually became part of the Milwaukee County Stadium site.
1946	Resolution #8830 by Supervisor Busby of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors authorizes a study in support of a municipal stadium, dedicated to Milwaukee veterans of WWII. “Proposed Stadium: Committee Report to Milwaukee City Park Commission” is delivered. Story Stone quarry is transferred to Milwaukee County for stadium. Story Quarry is at that time being used as a city dump. This will lead to the eventual methane issue on the property.
1947	“Report on Selection of a Stadium Site for County of Milwaukee, Wisconsin” is delivered by Osborn Engineering Company of Cleveland, Ohio, and evaluates seven potential sites. Keefe Avenue site is recommended, but the Story Stone Quarry site is selected.
1949	Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors selects Story Quarry site for new stadium. Request for land for Stadium presented to Veterans Affairs (VA), stressing the “therapeutic value” of the close proximity of the stadium for the patients of the VA. The VA files a quitclaim deed for the requested portion of land including water depot, clearing the way for the county to purchase the land.
1950	Osborn submits revised estimate of costs for stadium construction based on substantial reductions to scope of project. New revised estimate is $3.2 million. Eventual cost is $5 million.
1951	Land acquired from Wisconsin Electric Power Company. Story Stone Quarry transferred to Milwaukee County.
1953	Milwaukee County Municipal Stadium opens April 6, with an exhibition game between the Milwaukee Braves and the Boston Red Sox. Green Bay Packers play several home games each season at County stadium every year until 1994. Seating capacity is 36,011.
1954-1955	The VA executed a quitclaim on additional adjacent land. An addition is constructed increasing the seating capacity to 43,394. Many of the original suggestions by Osborn are included in the expansion of the facility.
1956	Additional land transferred from county to city for water booster station.
1966	Milwaukee Braves move to Atlanta.
1968	Stadium hosts nine Chicago White Sox home games, arranged by local businessman and president of Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, Inc. Bud Selig, in order to demonstrate that Milwaukee was a viable market for major league baseball.
1969	Stadium hosts 11 Chicago White Sox home games. Additional land acquired for stadium from VA and city.
1970	Bud Selig buys Seattle Pilots team and relocates them to Milwaukee as the Milwaukee Brewers.
1975	Seating capacity increased to 53,192.
1982	Study of toilet room facilities is conducted, possibly in line with 'restroom facility parity' issue that was beginning to gain momentum.
1984	Five-year pavement and parking repair plan is issued.
1986	A feasibility study for renovation of existing County Stadium and new proposed baseball stadium is done.
1987	Greater Milwaukee Committee Brewers Task Force established to look into stadium requirements and financing strategies.
1989	Report summarizing findings of Milwaukee County Stadium Options study comparing renovation of county Stadium vs. construction of new stadium issued.
1991	Roof blows off Upper Grandstand.
1993	Additional monitoring of methane gas under property is conducted. Americans with Disability Act accessibility study done.
1994	“Remedial Alternatives Analysis for the Proposed Brewers Stadium Infrastructure Project” is prepared by RMT, Inc. and delivered to The Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Howard, Needles, Tammen, and Bergendoff (HNTB). It includes plans for methane abatement of chosen site. December 18 is last Green Bay Packers game played at County Stadium.
1995	The Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District is created by 1995 Wisconsin Act 56. It is a public corporation that may acquire, construct, maintain, improve, operate and manage baseball park facilities. The district has the authority to impose a sales tax and use tax within the district.
1996	October 28: design for new stadium is selected. November 9: ground is broken for new stadium in center field parking lot of existing stadium. Miller Park scheduled to open with 2000 baseball season.
1999	July 14: fatal accident. Collapse of 'Big Blue' crane and portion of roof kills three ironworkers. Opening of Miller Park is delayed until 2001 season.
2000	September 28: final Brewers game at County Stadium.
2001	February 21: Milwaukee County Municipal Stadium demolished. March 30: exhibition game between Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox. April 6: Opening Day. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig throws first pitch and President George W. Bush throws out second ball.

These records were acquired from the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District, the majority owner of Miller Park, in 2006. The series includes some records from Milwaukee County, the owners of the preceding baseball park, Milwaukee County Stadium. The majority of the records document Miller Park.

The records document Milwaukee County Stadium planning, construction, and maintenance, circa 1924-1996, and Miller Park planning and construction, circa 1986-2001. Therefore the collection consists of two series: MILWAUKEE COUNTY STADIUM and MILLER PARK. This is an imperfect division however, since some documents pertain to both structures. For example, feasibility studies evaluated the renovation of the County and Stadium and the construction of a new stadium. Similarly, Miller Park Progress reports document the construction of Miller Park with the simultaneous demolition of County Stadium. If documents pertained to both facilities they were filed with the most recent structure: Miller Park.

The records are not complete. Construction process of the original Milwaukee County Stadium is not well-documented. While there are reports on sites initially considered, there is no documentation supporting the final selection of the Story Quarry site. There are many plat maps and much surveying documentation, but few architectural drawings of the original stadium construction process. There is no documentation on the unsuccessful bids for either facility or the funding strategy process for Miller Park. The series does illustrate the sometimes complex land issues involved in providing a municipal facility.

The MILWAUKEE COUNTY STADIUM series includes documentation related to the site selection, land acquisition and easements, and site surveying for the original Stadium. The series is in roughly chronological order, beginning in 1924. Documents and correspondence also cover property access and parking, water and sewer system upgrades, improvements to the property, and routine maintenance of the Stadium, including a small selection of periodic inspection reports. The bulk of the correspondence is between three groups: the Milwaukee County Department of Public Works, the Veterans Administration, and contractors.

The contracts under Soldiers Home include the stipulation that approximately 500 reservations will be held for staff and patients of the VA until 24 hours before an event. This may have led to the apocryphal belief that the stadium was constructed so that events would be viewable from the Hospital. From 1953 to 1973, before the park was expanded, hospital patients did sit outside their rooms on Mockingbird Hill overlooking right field and were able to watch the games for free.

There is a small selection of meeting minutes from the Milwaukee County Stadium Study Planning Committee covering the time frame December 20, 1988 to March 20, 1989.

The selection of blueprints/drawings focuses on land acquisition and the structural aspects of the stadium, not the mechanicals. See the attached appendix for a list of the blueprints and other architectural drawings.

The MILLER PARK series documents the planning and construction of the Park through plans and studies, printed progress reports, slides, architectural and structural drawings in electronic form, and both construction progress and promotional videos. There is a small selection of color artist renderings of the proposed new stadium including a mock-up of the Miller Park logo and reduced prints of larger presentation drawings.

The architectural and structural drawings in electronic form on the DVD labeled “Milwaukee_Series_53” are in their original file structure. The DVD contains 323 files, in 30 folders, for a total of 1.96 GB. Most of the items are compressed, as they were when received by the Society. The files are primarily in AutoCAD with some in .pdf format. There are three folders of electronic drawings on the DVD: “Architectural Record Drawings,” “Structural Drawings,” and “Civil Record Documents.” These three DVD items comprise a portion of the original bid package from HKS for construction of Miller Park.

The “Architectural Record Drawings” folder (DVD Item 1) is the Miller Park construction project manual and provides the details and specification for the park. It was compiled by the firm of HKS, Inc., architects/engineers/planners, of Dallas, Texas. The folder contains two compressed files; recordwgs.zip and plt.zip. Items in recordwgs.zip are AutoCAD drawings. These files can be minimally viewed in Adobe Illustrator. Items in plt.zip are in Hewlett-Packard Graphics language; these items can be viewed in Graphics Converter, at low resolution.

HKS also produced the files in DVD Item 2 entitled “Structural Drawings.” This folder contains two .zip compressed files; 100903_mp_pdf. zip, and 100903_mp_plts.zip. Unzipped files in 100903_mp_pdf. zip are numbered using the structure sxxx.pdf, with the 's' number being the title of the drawing. The first file, s001 .pdf is the sheet index for the Miller Park project. The .pdf files should be viewable on any computer after being decompressed. The same material is contained in 100903_mp_plts.zip, in a different file format.

DVD Item 3 contains the folder “Civil Record Documents,” also produced by HKS, consisting of AutoCAD drawings. There is no index to these drawings.

Progress Reports contains monthly construction progress reports from Executive Director Mike Duckett to the SEWPBPD covering the time period 1997 to 2001, and a final report dated September 2001. Each volume contains nine sections: Project Overview, Stadium Progress Report, Infrastructure Progress Report, Design Development, Construction Committee, Project Participation Committee, Finance Committee, SEWPBPD Board, and Other. The reports contain detailed budget statements and financial reports, construction timelines, photographic reproductions and cover all phases of construction. The Progress Report for July 1999 contains information and photographs of the July 14, 1999 crane collapse and roof collapse that claimed the lives of three ironworkers. A visual representation of construction progress is contained in slides (in four slide albums) created by photographer Jeff J. Voelz.

There are two items under Videos. The time lapse video of construction, including the crane collapse and clean-up, was produced by WTMJ-TV Graphics. It is DVD Item 4. DVD Item 5, “Together We Can: Building Miller Park,” was produced by the SEWPBPD and shows clips of agencies and committees involved in the Miller Park project. It appears to be a promotional tool highlighting the benefits and economic impact of the completed Park.

Access Restrictions

Consult electronic records archivist for access to electronic files.

Collection can be requested for transfer through the Area Research Center (ARC) Network, consult Reading Room Staff.

Use Restrictions

Copyright to time-lapse construction video is held by WTMJ-TV.

Copyright to architectural drawings, artistic renderings, and photographs may not be held by the Wisconsin Historical Society.

The Wisconsin Historical Society cannot provide reproduction rights without permission of the copyright holder.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District, 2006. Accession Number: C2006/057

Processing Information

Processed by Debra Griffith, 2009.

Milwaukee Series 53	Series: Milwaukee County Stadium
Box   1 Folder   1-2	Soldiers Home, 1924-1970
Box   1 Folder   3-4	[Initial planning documents], Stadium exterior and coordinates, 1883, 1925-1988
Box   1 Folder   5-6	[Site selection], 1946-1947, 1974
Box   2 Folder   1-2	Story Quarry Stadium site - Acquisition Computations, 1949-1961
Box   2 Folder   3	General correspondence, 1950-1985
Box   2 Folder   4-7	Structural inspection, 1985-1994
Box   3 Folder   1	Structural inspection, 1985-1994 (continued)
Rolled Oversize	Blueprints/drawings, 1946-1996 Note: See appendix for list of items.
	Series: Miller Park	⇧
Box   3 Folder   2	Background materials to “Comprehensive Architectural Feasibility Study,” 1988-1993
Box   3 Folder   3	Miscellaneous Correspondence/Studies, 1989-1995
Box   3 Folder   4	“Remedial Alternatives Analysis for the Proposed Brewers Stadium Infrastructure Project,” 1994
Box   4 Folder   1	“A Feasibility Study for Renovation of Existing County Stadium & New Proposed Baseball Stadium,” 1986
	Artistic renderings
Box   4 Folder   2	circa 1986
Box   4 Folder   3	circa 1996
Box   4 Folder   4	Presentation drawings, 1996
	Digital blueprints/drawings
DVD Item   1	Architectural Record drawings, 1998 (named “CD1_ARCH_DRAW”)
DVD Item   2	Structural drawings, circa 1998 (named “CD2_STRUC_DRAW”)
DVD Item   3	Civil Record Documents, circa 1998 (named “CD3_CIVIL_REC_DOC”)
	Progress reports
Box   5	1997 January-1997 July
Box   6	1997 August-1997 December
Box   7	1998 January-1998 June
Box   8	1998 July-1998 December
Box   9	1999 January -1999 June
Box   10	1999 July-2000 January
Box   11	2000 February-2000 July
Box   12	2000 August-2001 April
Box   13	, 2001 September Final Report
PH Milwaukee Series 53	Slides of Construction, 1997-2000
Volume   1	1997
Volume   2	1998
Volume   3	1999
Volume   4	2000
Milwaukee Series 53	Video
DVD Item   4	Time lapse video of construction, 2006 (named “DVD_TIME_LAPSE”)
DVD Item   5	“Together We Can: Building Miller Park,” 2001 (named “DVD2_TOGETHER”)

Note

Drawings come from several city and county departments, and contractors. Numbering systems on drawings are not always compatible. 'MC' is Milwaukee County Regional Planning Department.

Drawing Number	Date	Description: Title and Firm/Agency, if known	Number of Drawings in Set
1	April 30, 1946	Story's Stone Quarry topographic map, City Engineers office	1 drawing
2	April 1, 1950	Main Deck plan - ultimate, Osborn Engineering, Grassold & Johnson - Consulting Architects	Indicates seating for 76,200; 1 drawing
3-5	February, 1954	Milwaukee County Stadium seating plan	1, 3, and 5 of 6; torn
6	January 25, 1956	Toilet building for bull-pens, MC	1 drawing
7-9	March 1, 1956; February, 1943; and undated	Location Survey - North-South Expressway, Milwaukee County Expressway Commission, HNTB Consulting Engineers	3 drawings
10	May 24, 1957	Marquee- East wing office, MC	1 drawing
11-96	August 1, 1950, revised; August 18, 1953; and some on June 12, 1958	Milwaukee County Stadium Plans, Osborn Engineering and Grassold & Johnson	86 drawings, almost complete working drawing set
97	December, 1958	Map showing area west of stadium, indicating easements, and cemeteries	1 drawing
98	June, 1959	Baseball field layout 1959, MC	1 drawing
99	August 7, 1959	Ticket booths, MC	1 drawing
100-108	March 18, 1964	TV cages for stadium, Robert J. Strauss, Inc.	9 drawings
109-113	July, 1964	Milwaukee County Stadium Parking Area Signs, MC	5 drawings
114-127	August 1, 1966	County Stadium Concession and Comfort Building, Boswell Associates	14 drawings total; 5 are in pencil drawing and blueprint
128	1969	Milwaukee County acquisition plan	1 drawing
129-139	October 5, 1971	Improvement of football press box, Osborn Engineering	11 drawings, complete
140-214	June 6, 1973	Seating expansion, 1973, MC	75 drawings, including cover; many torn on edges
215-237	February 19, 1974	Remodeling of baseball press box facilities, auxiliary facilities for football press box, MC	23 drawings, including index page
238-311	August, 1974	Lower Grandstand expansion, MC and Beseke and Goulet, Ruud, and Associates	74 drawings
312-391	July 18, 1975	Upper Grandstand extension [expansion], third base area - 1975, MC, and Beseke and Goulet, Ruud, and Associates	80 drawings. Roll with drawings 312-351 has damage: Use caution when unrolling
392	August 16, 1979	Signage, MC	1 drawing
393-394	February 27, 1980	Police and Holding Rooms, MC	2 drawings
395-397	September 23, 1980	Photo building on roof of stadium, MC	1 drawing, building permit application, and permit
398-403	August 17, 1983	Seating diagrams, level by level, MC	6 drawings
404-414	August 2, 1984	Bleacher replacement, Osborn Engineering	11 drawings
415	January 18, 1985	TV camera dugout, MC	1 drawing
416	March, 1985	Field grades, MC	1 drawing
417	August 21, 1985	Football net poles, MC	1 drawing
418-420	February 17, 1986	Sound Control Booth, MC, Leedy and Petzold, and Holland & Kurtz	3 drawings; one by each firm
421	February, 1986	Replacement of ball field irrigation system, new 3" d.i. water main to comfort building, MC	1 drawing
422-423	November, 1987	“Batter's Eye” Area - Side railings, MC	2 drawings
424	August 15, 1988	New Press Room, MC	1 drawing
425-426	October, 1988	Existing topography of playing field	2 drawings; 1 by computer at 1"=30', 1 by human at 1"=20'
427	June 2, 1989	Rugby layout, MC	1 drawing
428-436	March 6, 1996	Drawings of roof design, ARUP	9 drawings
437-455	May 1, 1996	Miller Park drawing, partially by NBBJ Sports and Entertainment	19 drawings
456	Undated	Access to County Stadium	1 drawing

Box 4, Folder 2:

Suite Interior

Suite Interior, another view

Suite Plan

Club Level Concourse

Field Level Plan

Field Level Concourse

Roof Plan (shows logo)

Left field view from .300 Club Restaurant

View of Scoreboard

Box 4, Folder 3: (laminated)

Mock-up of Miller Park logo

Computer rendering from parking lot opposite clock tower along third base line

Computer rendering from parking lot opposite clock tower along third base line, close up

Artist rendering from seat behind home plate

Artist rendering Field Level and Concession area

Artist rendering of stadium roof, closed, with Miller Park logo

Artist rendering of suite interior

Artist rendering of suite interior, another view

Artist rendering of pedestrian crossing into park over Menomonee River

Artist rendering of Club Level

Artist rendering of interior of .300 Club restaurant

Box 4, Folder 4: Digital reproductions (reduced) of large presentation drawers

Field level and concession area

Suite plan

Suite interior

Plans of different levels (5)

Exterior overviews (5)

Partial exterior overviews (2)

Interior overview

Lounge area

Club suite