Brewers staying in Milwaukee through 2043

The Brewers have secured their home in Milwaukee for another 20 years.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has announced a new plan that invests a portion of the state’s historic $7 billion surplus to ensure the Brewers and Major League Baseball stay in Milwaukee through 2043. Without the investment, the Brewers and MLB could leave Milwaukee as soon as the end of the 2030 season, with the current lease with American Family Field expires.

“I’ve been watching baseball in Milwaukee since the County Stadium days when I had the chance of a lifetime to watch Warren Spahn’s 300th-career game there way back when. As Governor, and also someone who also happens to be a lifelong Brewers fan, I’m so excited about the historic opportunity we have today to keep Major League Baseball here in Milwaukee for another twenty years and to usher in a new generation of Brewers fans in Wisconsin who can grow up rooting for the home team just like I did,” said Gov. Evers.

Gov. Evers’ budget proposal, which makes a one-time investment from the state’s historic surplus rather than using long-term bonding, will save taxpayers over $200 million over the Brewers’ lease term while generating more than $400 million in revenue over the next two decades.

Since opening its doors in 2001, the ballpark has generated $2.5 billion in total economic output for the state. In 2022 alone, the ballpark supported 3,000 jobs. Milwaukee Brewers and American Family field also support more than 1,100 union jobs, including Brewers employees and union employees through vendors and related services.

“What’s more, the Brewers are not only a cherished part of our state’s heritage but an essential part of Milwaukee’s and our state’s economic success,” Gov. Evers continued. “Using just a small portion of our state’s historic surplus, we can not only save over $200 million in taxpayer dollars in the long run, but keep good-paying, family-supporting jobs here and ensure the Brewers remain in Milwaukee and continue to play a critical role in our state’s economic success for another two decades.”

Under the plan announced by Gov. Evers today, the state will provide a one-time investment of $290 million to the baseball park district from the state’s historic surplus funds, many of which are only available on a one-time basis. The governor’s proposed investment will be used to maintain, repair, and improve the baseball park facilities at American Family Field to ensure the baseball district can meet its existing lease obligations and responsibilities to the Brewers.

The investment will ensure the Milwaukee Brewers commit to a 20-year lease, keeping the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin through at least December 2043.