This afternoon, the Milwaukee Common Council approved the city's contribution to building a new Downtown arena. Shortly after, County Executive Chris Abele released the following statement:

"Even when negotiations were tough, I never stopped advocating for a deal that would ensure all of Milwaukee, across all socioeconomic lines, would benefit from our partnership with the City and the Milwaukee Bucks, and today that deal has become a reality.

"The Park East is now finally and officially on its way to generating millions of dollars in economic activity and creating thousands of good-paying jobs for Milwaukee – and the construction of the new arena is only the beginning of the economic boom we will experience as a result of this deal.

"Today is a great day for Milwaukee."

Bucks president Peter Feigin also released a statement concerning the Common Council's passage of the arena financing proposal:

"Today is a truly historic day for Milwaukee and Wisconsin, and the culmination of months of hard work from an incredible coalition passionate about our community’s future. Thanks to the support of Sen. Kohl, Mayor Barrett and the Common Council, and other elected officials in both Milwaukee and Madison, this transformative public-private partnership is now a reality. Now it’s time to get to work creating jobs and building a better Milwaukee – not just for the Bucks, but for all citizens of this great state."