Lasry alludes to new Bucks arena

The Milwaukee Bucks will bring together four satellite offices into one building at the redesigned Schlitz Office Park. Members of the team's leadership and Schlitz representatives announced the move Tuesday morning.

\"We want to grow with the city,\" Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry said outside the office building.

The office space on the building's sixth floor offers about 18,000 square feet of space. The news comes as the team announced it added 40 new hires.

\"We will be the catalyst to help redevelop downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the rest of the state,\" team president Peter Feigin said.

The offices come with a view of the team's current home, the BMO Harris Bradley Center. But without a new arena by 2017, the NBA says Milwaukee will lose the Bucks. Step one is finding a build site.

\"As soon as I know [where]... Well... I know,\" Lasry laughed. \"So I can't say that, I apologize. But as soon as I can tell you, I certainly will.\"

Lasry says he'd like to announce a new arena site by Christmas, which sounded like an early present for Bucks fans snagging free home opener tickets at Wendy's restaurants across town.

\"I think we're going in a very, very good direction,\" fan Sergio Navejar said.

A specific arena location didn't seem to matter much to most fans.

\"As long as it gets built man, as long as they don't take my Bucks away I don't care where it goes,\" fan Nick Holz said.

But paying for the stadium might be a different story. Half the cost of a new arena might fall on taxpayers.

\"When you break it down, it's probably a couple cups of coffee for the whole year,\" New Berlin-based fan Roger Anderson said.

\"I guess I don't have a problem with the tax dollars,\" Dave Mraz said. \"But I'm in Milwaukee County.\"

Getting other counties involved won't be so easy, but Lasry feels confident they'll work it out.

\"I think the most important thing is we know we're going to end up building an arena here,\" Lasry said.

The Bucks open the season Wednesday night in Charlotte. They play their first home game Friday night against Philadelphia.

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