MATC plans to operate a new athletic facility. It would be near Fiserv Forum

Milwaukee Area Technical College plans to operate a new athletic facility on the ground floor of a five-story apartment building to be developed near downtown's Fiserv Forum.

It would mainly serve MATC’s fitness and health programs, and athletics , including women’s basketball, men’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams.

The Deer District facility, which would allow the college to add more teams, would be co-developed and co-owned by the Milwaukee Bucks and J. Jeffers & Co.

It would be on the first floor of a 220-unit apartment building that Jeffers plans to develop on a vacant lot bordered by West Juneau, West McKinley and North Phillips avenues and North King Drive. That lot, owned by a Bucks affiliate just east of The Trade Hotel, is among the parcels left vacant when the former Park East Freeway was razed.

Plans for the apartment development were announced in November. Construction could begin as early as the second quarter of 2025, according to the college.

MATC would have a 10-year lease, according to the agreement which has received preliminary approval from the Wisconsin Technical College System board. The systems oversees the state's technical colleges.

The first-year rent would be $888,145, with annual increases linked to the inflation rate, according to information from the system. That would be funded through MATC's operation budget, with the college also borrowing $1.5 million to build the facility's furnishings and equipment.

The 26,000-square-foot facility also could be used for "community engagement and rentals for camps, educational programs and events," according to a college statement.

It would include a 15,000-square-foot double-court gymnasium that seats up to 1,000, a fitness center, locker rooms, concessions, and meeting rooms.

“Our student-athletes and the MATC community deserve a new facility to serve our athletics programs and aid in our ability to attract and retain students,” said MATC President Anthony Cruz, in a statement. “Community colleges across the country are growing their offerings to enhance the student experience."

The college's National Junior College Athletic Association Division II athletic teams now play at Alverno College, around 7 miles from MATC's downtown campus. The current lease cost is $50,000 annually and the college spends approximately $50,000 on transportation for practices and home games.

The current facility "is not large enough for multiple teams to train at the same time. Additionally, the existing court is insufficient for home games and does not have a spectator seating area," a system board report said.

The larger facility would allow MATC to expand from nine sports teams with 135 students to 17 teams with 400 students. The college has around 30,000 students at its Milwaukee, West Allis, Oak Creek and Mequon campuses.

Also, a possible partnership with the Bucks to hold summer sports camps could bring $100,000 in annual revenue, it said. The college's annual revenue is around $281 million.

The college would spend an estimated $546,000 annually on salaries of coaches, recruiters and other staff tied to the new facility and teams expansion.

“MATC is a vibrant, transformative, and diverse technical college, and we are delighted that the college’s leaders are exploring a first-class sports venue in Deer District for their students’ recreation and highly acclaimed sports teams,” said Michael Belot, Bucks senior vice president of business operations and chief real estate development officer.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram , X and Facebook .

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MATC plans to operate a new athletic facility. It would be near Fiserv Forum