With Milwaukee County agreeing to sell land to the owners of The Rock Sports Complex, work on Ballpark Commons development in Franklin (WI), which could include a new ballpark, can proceed.
The $130-million, 200-acre Ballpark Commons proposal from developer Mike Zimmerman includes as a centerpiece a 2,500-seat ballpark and a 25,000-square-foot indoor sports complex next to Zimmerman’s current business, The Rock. It would also include 36,800 square feet in restaurant space, 7,500 square feet of commercial space and up to 400 apartments.Much of it will be located already controlled by Zimmerman, and with the acquisition of land from Milwaukee County, the path to full development is now open. It’s still not a totally done deal, however. From Milwaukee BizTimes:
Aaron Hertzberg, Franklin’s economic development director, said the Ballpark Commons development group is still working on several aspects of the project, including a traffic impact analysis, parking study and landscaping plan.
“I think the County Board approval gives them some more confidence that they can continue to move forward and complete the project,” Hertzberg said, adding that the developers still intend on breaking ground on phase one this year.
“This was always intended to be a phased project,” Hertzberg said. “We will continue to work with the development team and hope to keep them on schedule.”
As noted, the ballpark would house a new ballpark hosting UW-Milwaukee games. Zimmerman is active on the summer-collegiate front, owning two Prospect League teams in the form of the Kokomo JackRabbits and Lafayette Aviators and the Jamestown Jammers in the Perfect Game League via ROC Ventures (formerly MKE Sports and Entertainment).
RELATED STORIES: Franklin Approves New-Ballpark Development TIF; Franklin Ballpark Could Open in 2018; TIF District Proposed for Ballpark Commons; Franklin Ballpark Plan Moves Forward; Franklin moves forward with new ballpark planning; Initial approval sought for new Franklin (WI) ballpark