Bice: Potawatomi is planning $200 million concert venue that would seat up to 6,000, sources say

The Forest County Potawatomi Community is going all in on the entertainment business.

Sources tell the Journal Sentinel that the Potawatomi is planning to construct a $200 million concert venue that will seat up to 6,000 people on property just to the west of the tribe's Hotel & Casino.

The plan calls for the tribe to get approval from city officials and the Common Council this year and break ground in the first quarter of 2025.

"It would be shovel in the ground in March or at least the beginning of 2025," said a source familiar with the project.

Officials with the tribe declined to comment when asked about the concert hall.

But this unexpected proposal could throw a wrench into city-approved plans to build a $60 million music theater in the Deer District that would seat 4,500.

Why?

It appears that the Potawatomi would fund the venue on its own without relying on traditional financing, removing one major hurdle for the construction project.

In addition, one prominent Milwaukee music insider said the two venues would end up competing for the same performers, creating a showdown between the Deer District theater, which is backed by music-industry behemoth Live Nation Entertainment, and the casino-funded music hall.

"It would be Godzilla versus King Kong," the insider said.

The Journal Sentinel recently reported that the Potawatomi casino at 1721 Canal St. won at least $415 million from gamblers during the 12-month period that ended June 30, according to Journal Sentinel calculation based on fees paid by the tribe to the city and county of Milwaukee.

In the previous 12 months, the tribe posted a net win of about $395 million in winnings, the records show. The net win is the amount of money that gamblers lose at slot machines and table games.

Jeff Fleming, a spokesman for Mayor Cavalier Johnson, said the city's top official had not received any briefings or specifics on the proposed new venue. But Fleming said Johnson "has been consistent in not using zoning or other regulatory approvals to address competitive business concerns."

Venue would be built on former Cargill sites in Menomonee Valley

The music hall would be built on the properties formerly owned by Cargill Inc. in the Menomonee Valley, sources say.

In 2015, the Potawatomi purchased the properties, totaling about 9.2 acres for $6.3 million in 2015. The properties included a former slaughterhouse just west of the casino and a research and development facility just east of the casino and 16th Street viaduct.

The tribe tore down the buildings on the sites shortly before the Democratic National Convention in 2020.

This would not be the Potawatomi's first foray into the music and entertainment business.

Just under a year ago, the tribe shut down the Northern Light's Theater, its 22-year-old concert and comedy venue.

Northern Lights was the only theater of its kind, seating just 600. Some acts only played the theater when they came to town, and Northern Lights also booked shows with legends and veteran performers who typically would play far larger venues in town.

Sources said the new Potawatomi music hall would be a seated theater with the flexibility to remove those chairs on the floor level for a general admission audience.

New hall would enter a competitive concert scene

A major new concert hall would compete with a number of existing sites in the Milwaukee area.

For instance, the Miller High Life Theatre is a 4,087-seat venue. The Riverside Theater holds 2,450 people. And the Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, has a lower bowl that holds up to 10,000 seats for shows, such as Grammy Award winner Brandi Carlile's performance in Milwaukee last year.

Just last month, a downsized live-music venue planned for just south of the Fiserv Forum received unanimous backing from the Common Council and the sign-off from the mayor. The newly approved 4,500-person, $60 million-plus venue at 1051 N. Phillips Ave. reflects a smaller version of one that gained city approval last year.

The concert hall would be located on land owned by the Milwaukee Bucks.

But Milwaukee insiders were divided on what concert-goers the Potawatomi music venue would attract.

"It would not be there not to sell tickets," said one official. "We're all competing for the same audiences."

But others suggested that the tribe would be looking to bring in more traditional performers for casinos, such as tribute acts for legend Tina Turner or others. "It attracts a completely different customer," said a source close to the tribe.

Indeed, a number of officials emphasized that they believe the Potawatomi tribe is looking to build a major concert hall because they have to compete with other Native American gambling halls.

The Ho-Chunk is building a new $405 million casino in Beloit. The Menominee tribe is hoping to construct an estimated $360 million Kenosha casino and hotel that would be developed and managed by Hard Rock International. In addition, Illinois is in the middle of opening six new casinos, four “racinos” — combination horse racetracks and casinos — online and retail sports betting and expanded video gambling under a 2019 law.

"Of course, the Pots are always looking to stay a step ahead of their real competition," said a gambling official.

Who would promote music at a new Potawatomi venue?

The proposed new Milwaukee music hall raises a lot of unanswered questions.

First, who would serve as the primary promoter for the tribe's venue?

Live Nation and AEG Presents dominate the business, but neither seems to have any sort of deal with the Potawatomi.

Live Nation has direct ties to the Deer District music venue just approved by city leaders.

That concert hall would be operated by Madison-based promoter and venues operator Frank Productions' FPC Live division. Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter, owns a stake in FPC Live, and a majority stake in Frank Productions.

Sources close to the Potawatomi said they were not focused on the Deer District project but wouldn't be surprised if construction of the tribe's new venue scuttled the proposed theater.

"As soon as the news breaks that the Potawatomi is interested in a similar entertainment venue, lenders will run for the hills," said the source.

But supporters of the FPC Live music hall dismissed such suggestions, saying Live Nation wouldn't let that happen.

"The more (music venues), the merrier," said one Milwaukee official.

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 313-6684 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on X at @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Potawatomi is planning $200 million concert venue, sources say