Summerfest looks toward an overhaul of the south end

By Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Sept. 24, 2009

Summerfest has tabbed five design and architectural firms to apply their creative talents to 22 acres on the south end of the festival grounds, slated for a major overhaul over the next five years.

Each of the firms will be paid $10,000 to participate in an informal design competition that will result in one or more of them designing a reconstruction of the buildings, stages and amenities. The nonprofit corporation that runs Summerfest has been working to stockpile $25 million for the renovations.

Dan Minahan, chairman of the Milwaukee World Festivals Board, shared the information on the redesign progress in a looking-forward portion of a directors meeting on Thursday. Summerfest officials declined to name the five firms, pending confirmation of the individual contracts.

The timing of the next major rebuilding phase on the Henry Maier Festival Grounds remains tied to the lease extension being negotiated between Milwaukee World Festivals Inc. and the city, which owns the 75-acre lakefront property. Those negotiations, which started late in 2008, have been slowed by the city, representatives of both parties said.

The stumbling block is the city-owned parking lot immediately west of the Marcus Amphitheater, and the potential for development on that parcel, City Attorney Grant Langley said. Before moving ahead on the lease, the city officials are exploring whether laws that restrict development on land that had been part of Lake Michigan would apply to the property.

Despite that delay, Langley said he was hopeful that a deal for a lease extension could be hammered out and presented to the Common Council in October.

Summerfest's current lease is set to expire in 2020. Officials with the nonprofit corporation that owns and runs the festival are seeking to extend that time frame to protect the large-scale investment contemplated for the south portion of the park.

The directors were also given a rundown of this summer's 11-day music festival, ethnic festivals and other events that drew a combined 1.4 million visitors to the lakefront property.

Bob Babisch ran down the highlights among the acts he booked in his 32nd year as the director of entertainment. Among his awards:

• No Doubt took the prize for best-looking show: white costumes, white lights and white guitars.
• Kiss stood out as the loudest and the "best old guys doing it right."
• Stevie Wonder and John Legend, playing days after the death of Michael Jackson, provided the most "touching moments."
• Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd established themselves as drawing the heaviest drinking audience.
• Babisch's side stage heroes were Matisyahu, Asher Roth, Lupe Fiasco, Felix Cavaliere and Judas Priest.

The latter show at the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse was electric. "Probably the biggest crowd in the short history of the stage," Babisch said.

Summerfest CEO and President Don Smiley added his own by-the-numbers recounting of the run:

• 25,146 golf balls hit in the Subaru Hole-in-One Contest. Zero holes in one.
• 76,000 pounds of food collected for Hunger Task Force on opening day.
• 3,175 towels used by entertainers.
• 14,516 Martino's hot dog served.
• 37,400 garbage bags filled.
• 1.2 million cups drained.