Joint gift to include $150,000 to build the complex plus up to $600,000 in additional funding to support youth-focused programming over the next 10 years.
Earlier this spring, the Milwaukee Bucks announced Johnson Controls as the official “Smart Building” partner and the first Founding Partner of the new Wisconsin Entertainment & Sports Center in downtown Milwaukee.
On Tuesday, the Bucks and Johnson Controls announced that this partnership will extend far beyond the walls of the new state-of-the-art arena, as the two organizations jointly revealed plans to build a $150,000 multi-sport complex on the campus of Browning Elementary School and Silver Spring Neighborhood Center in Milwaukee’s Westlawn Neighborhood.
The complex will include six basketball courts, one futsal court, a soccer field and additional recreation space, all contained within a 200-meter track. The courts have been configured to allow flexibility for use of other sports, such as volleyball and tennis, and will be well lit to provide a safe space for recreation during evening hours as well. The project is scheduled to be completed before children return to school this fall.
“We are grateful that our good partners – the Milwaukee Bucks and Johnson Controls – believe in the children of our community and in providing first-class opportunities for them to grow and reach their fullest potential,” MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver said. “Ensuring that all children have top-notch recreational facilities not only provides a safe outlet for young people, it also reinforces to them that they are a vital part of the future of our city and worth the investment of the time and resources that are necessary for the construction of this multi-sport complex.”
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In addition to building the athletic complex, the Bucks and Johnson Controls will commit an annual gift of $60,000 for the next 10 years toward community programming. In the first three years, two annual grants of $30,000 each will be given to Playworks, to fund programming at Browning Elementary, and to the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, to provide after-hours and weekend programming at the new complex. Together, these grants will ensure that the complex features proven programming designed to maximize the value of the space for the surrounding community.