The Milwaukee Brewers baseball club is conducting a survey of its fans about the development of an outdoor entertainment area at American Family Field and other possible stadium changes.

The survey results could serve as a guide for stadium improvements over the next five to 15 years, said Rick Schlesinger, Brewers operations manager.

“We really try to listen to what the fans want,” Schlesinger told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Around 37,000 ticket buyers were surveyed.

The poll, first reported by WISN-TV, asks fans’ opinions on possible changes such as the entertainment area known as Brewers Bash.

It could include bars, concession stands, live entertainment and big-screen TVs and would be located in the plaza behind center field, Schlesinger said. That’s near the pedestrian bridge over Wisconsin Highway 175/Brewers Boulevard to the parking lots.

“It just gives us the most room to work,” he said.

Brewers Bash, a tentative name, is a response to demand for additional space for outdoor pregame activities, Schlesinger said.

The stadium could operate year-round, he said, which would complement plans to winterize the stadium so concerts and other off-season events can be held from November to March.

Changes to the AmFam field could include SRO spots

The survey also presents several proposed gathering spaces at the stadium, including a terrace-level family zone, a court-level lounge and the Brew HQ Social Patio – a standing-room-only area.

New social spaces can also be found in other Major League Baseball stadiums, such as Globe Life Field, which the Texas Rangers opened in 2020, and the remodeled Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Guardians.

Such features often target younger fans – a key factor in MLB’s continued growth.

“The demand for such spaces is growing,” said Schlesinger.

The Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District is the primary owner of American Family Field and is responsible for most major maintenance and improvement projects. The Brewers pay for voluntary improvements.

Some of the improvements identified in the survey could be publicly funded.

A funding bill signed by Governor Tony Evers in 2023 provides $365.8 million from the state and $67.5 million each from the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County to pay for renovations over nearly 30 years.

Another $11.4 million comes from surcharges on tickets for concerts at AmFam Field and other events not hosted by the Brewers themselves, $8.1 million comes from the sale of license plates with the Brewers logo, and $35.2 million is set aside from the five counties’ former stadium sales tax.

The Brewers are providing $150 million and will extend the lease from the end of 2030 to 2050. The stadium district board last discussed the lease negotiations during a closed meeting on August 9.

The Public Funds Act requires the stadium district, in collaboration with the city, county and ball club, to study the feasibility of developing the AmFam Field site, which includes about 90 acres of parking lots. A report on that study is expected within two years.

Such developments are not taken into account in the current fan survey.

Other MLB stadiums have been connected to new hotels, shops, restaurants, entertainment, housing and other commercial developments.

These include the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park, which opened in 2017 and is located next to The Battery Atlanta, and Busch Stadium in St. Louis, which opened in 2006 and is located next to Ballpark Village.

Meanwhile, a new stadium planned for the Tampa Bay Rays would be tied to the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District.

Tom Daykin can be contacted via email at [email protected] and followed on Instagram, X and Facebook.

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This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Brewers stadium could get outdoor entertainment area