By Danielle Miller
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and CEO of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Rodney Ferguson announced an agreement between the City of Milwaukee and the Forest County Potawatomi Community, in which Potawatomi Hotel and Casino was the presenting sponsor of the city’s streetcar system on Oct. 6.
The streetcar system, currently under construction, is a deal worth $10 Million, which will be payable over 12 years. Both the City of Milwaukee and Potawatomi Hotel & Casino will sign a letter of intent over the next few weeks as well as a following contract.
“This is yet another important and exciting step for the City of Milwaukee and the streetcar,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “We’re thrilled to have Potawatomi Hotel & Casino as our partner in moving Milwaukee forward.”
The streetcar system’s Phase 1 construction is intended to begin service in fall 2018, and then the Lakefront Line will follow along with the construction of The Couture development. The system will be called “The Hop,” which was chosen with the help of a community input panel during a branding process that was conducted in 2016.
“We are all about ‘building the excitement’,” said Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Chief Operating Officer Rodney Ferguson. “As Wisconsin’s most visited entertainment destination, we see the streetcar as just one more way to make Milwaukee an attractive place to live, work, play and do business. We are proud to have our brand aligned with The Hop streetcar brand.”
With a cost of $128 million, the project is being covered by federal funding, while the system operations will be funded by box revenue, fare, and sponsorships and advertising.
The project is still seeking additional sponsors and advertising partnerships.