Wisconsin Code § 229.461

Development agreement, non-relocation agreement, lease
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(1) A district shall enter into a development agreement with a professional basketball team or its affiliate to require the professional basketball team or affiliate to develop and construct sports and entertainment arena facilities that
will be financed in part by the district and, subject to sub. (3) (d),
leased to the professional basketball team or its affiliate as provided in this subchapter. Before a district may sign the development agreement, the secretary of administration shall certify that
the professional basketball team or its affiliate has agreed to fund
at least $250,000,000 to the development and construction of the
sports and entertainment arena facilities. In addition, the professional basketball team or its affiliate must have entered into the
non-relocation agreement under sub. (2) before the district may
sign the development agreement.
(2) In consideration of the district, this state, a sponsoring
municipality, and the most populous county in which the sponsoring municipality is located promising to commit
$250,000,000 of financial assistance to the development and construction of the sports and entertainment arena facilities and
granting a professional basketball team, or its affiliate, the right
to operate and manage the sports and entertainment arena facilities, the professional basketball team shall enter into a non-relocation agreement with the district, before it or its affiliate enters
into a development agreement with the district under sub. (1),
that contains all of the following provisions and commitments
during the term of the lease:
(a) The professional basketball team shall play substantially
all of its home games at the sports and entertainment arena, once
it is constructed.
(b) The professional basketball team shall maintain its membership in the National Basketball Association or a successor
league.
(c) The professional basketball team shall maintain its headquarters in this state.
(d) The professional basketball team shall maintain in its official team name the name of the sponsoring municipality.
(e) The professional basketball team shall not relocate to another political subdivision during the term of the lease.
(f) If the professional basketball team is sold or ownership is
transferred to another person, the professional basketball team
shall ensure that any person who acquires the professional basketball team, including upon foreclosure, commits to acquire the
professional basketball team subject to the team’s obligations under the non-relocation agreement.
(g) During the last 5 years of the original 30-year lease, and
during any 5-year extension of the lease, the professional basketball team may negotiate, and enter into agreements, with 3rd parties regarding the professional basketball team playing its home
games at a site different from the site to which the lease applies
after the conclusion of the lease.
(3) The lease between the district and the professional basketball team or its affiliate shall contain at least all of the following:
(a) The term of the lease shall be for 30 years, plus 2 exten-

sions of 5 years each, both extensions at the professional basketball team’s or its affiliate’s option.
(b) The lease shall contain provisions concerning the transfer
of the Bradley Center and the land on which it is located from the
district to the professional basketball team or its affiliate and, following that transfer, subsequent demolition of the Bradley Center
arena structure, consistent with s. 229.47 (2) (c) . The district
shall convey fee title to the professional basketball team or its affiliate free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and obligations,
except for easements or similar restrictions that do not include a
monetary component. Provided that the Bradley Center arena
structure is transferred as provided under this paragraph, the
lease shall require the professional basketball team or its affiliate
to pay for all costs related to the demolition of the Bradley Center
arena structure.
(c) The professional basketball team or its affiliate shall be responsible for equipping, maintaining, operating, improving, and
repairing sports and entertainment arena facilities that are constructed pursuant to a development agreement entered into under
sub. (1). If the professional basketball team or its affiliate
breaches the development agreement or non-relocation agreement, the parent company of the professional basketball team
shall be jointly and severally responsible with the professional
basketball team or its affiliate for the costs of equipping, maintaining, operating, and repairing the sports and entertainment
arena facilities during the term of the lease. In addition, the professional basketball team or its affiliate shall be entitled to receive
all revenues, other than surcharges collected under s. 229.445, related to the operation or use of the sports and entertainment arena
facilities, including, but not limited to, ticket revenues, licensing
or user fees, sponsorship revenues, revenues generated from
events that are held on the plaza that is part of the sports and entertainment arena facilities, revenues from the sale of food, beverages, merchandise, and parking, and revenues from naming
rights.
(d) The lease shall allow for a separate agreement between the
sponsoring municipality and the professional basketball team or
its affiliate that addresses the development and construction, leasing, operation, maintenance, and repair of a parking structure
constructed as part of the sports and entertainment arena facilities and the ownership of and revenues from the parking
structure.
(4) (a) If the professional basketball team or its affiliate
breaches the lease, the district may enforce the lease.
(b) If the professional basketball team or its affiliate breaches
the non-relocation agreement, the state, the district, the sponsoring municipality, and the most populous county in which the
sponsoring municipality is located may act individually or collectively to enforce the non-relocation agreement and, if they prevail, are entitled to all of the following:
1. Injunctive relief.
2. a. Liquidated damages from the parent company of the
professional basketball team, the professional basketball team, or
its affiliate in an amount equal to the outstanding balance of principal and accrued unpaid interest remaining on any debt issued or
incurred by the district, this state, a sponsoring municipality, and
the most populous county in which the sponsoring municipality
is located for the development and construction of the sports and
entertainment arena facilities.
b. If the professional basketball team or its affiliate, at the
time of its breach of the non-relocation agreement, is also in
breach of its obligations under the lease to equip, maintain, operate, and repair the sports and entertainment arena facilities, liquidated damages from the parent company of the professional basketball team, the professional basketball team, or its affiliate shall
also include an amount equal to the cost of performing these obligations during the term of the lease.
c. Liquidated damages awarded under this subdivision shall
be apportioned among the district, this state, a sponsoring municipality, and the most populous county in which the sponsoring
municipality is located in proportion to that entity’s financial
contributions towards the development and construction of the
sports and entertainment arena facilities.
(5) The secretary of administration, in his or her capacity as
chairperson of the board of directors, shall negotiate the development agreement, the lease, and the non-relocation agreement under this section on behalf of the district and may enter into any
such development agreement, non-relocation agreement, or lease
without the approval of the board of directors. Any subsequent
amendments to, or renewal or extensions of, the development
agreement, the non-relocation agreement, or the lease shall require the approval of the board of directors.

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