The Milwaukee Bucks and Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network announced Friday an expansion of their community partnership to include developing two new health-oriented facilities within the new downtown Milwaukee arena district.

A state-of-the-art Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center, which will serve as the new practice and training facility for the Milwaukee Bucks, will combine the Bucks’ world-class medical team with Froedtert & MCW’s leading physicians and researchers to set a new standard for player care and sports science research. In addition, Froedtert & MCW health network will open a new health center near the arena that will further Froedtert & MCW’s commitment to community health and wellness by providing much-needed access to healthcare services for residents of the surrounding neighborhoods.

“Today’s announcement is a reflection of the bold vision we share with our partners at Froedtert & MCW for how to build a healthier and more vibrant community in Milwaukee,” Bucks President Peter Feigin said. “Through our shared resources and expertise, we will not only set a new standard for player care and provide our athletes with a world-class facility befitting of our championship aspirations on the court, but we will continue to provide much-needed resources to the surrounding community and contribute to cutting-edge research that will change the landscape of sports science.”

“As promised when we announced our partnership a month ago, we are deeply committed to making a significant, sustainable difference in Milwaukee,” said Cathy Jacobson, president and CEO of Froedtert Health. “We are proud to bring a new health center to people who live in this area and honored to offer Froedtert & MCW’s deep expertise in medical care and research to both the community and the Bucks. This is an extraordinary project with tremendous potential to move our city forward.”

The Froedtert & MCW Sports Science Center will be located at the corner North Sixth Street and West Juneau Avenue, adjacent to the site of the new downtown arena. As part of their collaboration on the facility, MCW physicians will work closely with Bucks Director of Performance Troy Flanagan and his team to devise training and rehabilitation programs for Bucks players. The state-of-the-art facility will also serve as the hub for new athletic performance research endeavors conducted jointly by the Bucks and Froedtert & MCW, including sports medicine and injury prevention research. The training center also will be a destination for community-based athletic camps, coach training and sports education.

“This initiative is another example of how the influence and reach of the Froedtert & MCW partnership, which pairs the unequaled research capabilities of MCW in this region with the depth and breadth of capabilities of the Froedtert & MCW health network, can make a tangible and lasting impact on the health of our community,” said John R. Raymond, Sr., MD, MCW’s President and CEO. “Our partnership with the Bucks provides a unique opportunity to invest in our community and a platform to generate new knowledge to advance sports science.”   

In addition to collaborating on the new training facility, Froedtert & MCW will develop an approximately 37,000-square-foot site at North Sixth Street and West McKinley Avenue into a medical office building called the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin McKinley Health Center.

The McKinley Health Center will be Froedtert & MCW’s first in the heart of the city and will serve as a resource for Milwaukee residents on the near north side as well as downtown. It will offer primary care, orthopedic, sports medicine and some specialty care as well as physical therapy, rehabilitation, imaging and laboratory services.

Last month, the Bucks and Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin tipped off their long-term partnership by unveiling plans to create the Froedtert & MCW Learning Center inside Carmen High School of Science & Technology’s northwest campus. Part of a workforce development initiative targeting Carmen students and low-income adults, the program will train over 300 students and adults in the surrounding neighborhood over the next five years, making them career-ready for medical and IT fields with a demonstrated need for more qualified job applicants.

Continuing its emphasis on improving community health, Froedtert & MCW’s partnership with the Bucks will extend to the league’s annual NBA Fit Week initiative focused on developing active, healthy lifestyles. Froedtert & MCW and the Bucks will team up to develop programming throughout the city in the areas of fitness, health, wellness and nutrition. The two organizations will also collaborate on a “Shoot Down Cancer” fundraising event at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in September.