Milwaukee City Wire

Wisconsin Congressman John Macco is sounding the alarm about a competing concert complex recently approved for the city’s famed Deer District and the way state officials ultimately came to green-light the project.

“At the state level, we actively support Milwaukee's economic success,” Macco posted on Twitter. “In turn, Milwaukee should make fiscally responsible decisions.”

According to EmpowerWisconsin.org, Frank Productions Concerts Live has plans of developing the venues in Milwaukee's Deer District on some of the area’s most prized land.

In the end, Macco worries state taxpayers will be left holding the bag, given the facility will directly compete with existing concert facilities.

“I have serious concerns that the revenue impact on the city with the proposed concert venue will be zero and potentially a loss,” Macco wrote in a letter he penned to the Milwaukee City Council.

Despite Macco’s strong objections to what he deemed as a sweetheart deal for Madison-based FPC, the city approved the plan on November 1, to begin building the complex next year, with the venues including an 800-capacity ballroom and a 4,000-capacity hall.

With the venue slated to open in 2024, FPC is part of the Live Nation Entertainment/Ticketmaster backed Frank Productions corporate family, the largest live entertainment and venue operator in the country.