SPORTS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Institution
Student name

Introduction
Sports complexes have emerged to be a major economic booster in North American cities. They are a sign of economic progress in the country. They bring out centers for both cultural and commercial activities altogether. Sports facilities bring about both economic and non-economic effects in cities such as creation of jobs, increasing tax revenues for the city governments and even creating a good image for the community around it.
Sports complexes bring about some negative and undesirable effects. They may bring about political strife, loss of land, socio-cultural diversities in a community and even misuse of public funds (Messina, 2009).
The Milwaukee’s Miller Park is one of the largest ballparks constructed in the history of Wisconsin. It suffers a similar fate just as other parks of misused funds and bringing development to its environs. In the following essay, we shall look upon political factors that surrounded the park. Social factors will also be looked at.
Discussion
The Wisconsin Miller Park hosted its first game on 30TH March, 2001, and it is home to the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team, owned by Bud Selig. This park cost the public $290 million which was obtained from 0.1% of sales tax implemented from January, 1996. This was viewed as an over budget and also a misuse of public funds on a private entity. This funding was authorized by a local government committee, comprising of thirteen members who were its Board of Governors. The thirteen represented five countries upon which this sales tax was implemented. These were Washington, Milwaukee, Racine, Waukesha and Ozaukee (Messina, 2009). George Petak was the sitting senator when this sales tax bill was tabled, but when he casts a supporting vote on the bill, he lost his seat nine months later. This was because this bill did not favor the taxpayers but then he was afraid the Milwaukee Brewers would move out of his town. This tax burden on the five counties is set to hit them from 1ST January, 1996 until 2017 when the project expects full completion. This is tax payers’ money for two full decades going to a private entity (Baim, 2010).
On another twist altogether, during the early stages of the 1999 park construction, some three construction workers lost their lives. It happened when a Lampson Transi-lift crane collapsed and dropped a roof section of 450 tons, killing the three. This was a loss to the area fraternity, because such men were breadwinners in their families and had several dependents.
The controversial bill on funding this project got really politicized. The authorizing senator suffered a job loss whereas the new senator gained popularity for not supporting its funding bill. The project also suffered a setback with the death of three of its construction workers. Such issues and many more created a negative image for the park that in turn tainted the image of the Milwaukee County as the ballpark got built. The Milwaukee society suffered a blow on their civic pride.
However, this park has not been all bliss to the community around it, it has had its benefits too. The creation of the ballpark has availed 4700 job opportunities for the locals. These were brought about by twenty-six companies that got attracted to the area by the park. Designing and building the ballpark also availed a lot of job opportunities to the locals and professionals from other regions (Baim, 2010).
It has also put into productive use 300 acres of brownfield land. This in turn has gotten the property and land values to increase. From 2003 to 2009, the value appreciated by $84 million. People living in the ballpark metropolis also benefited from an upgrade of the area infrastructure such as the 1 million square feet of residential and office blocks that have been erected in Menomee Valley and even construction of roads.
In 2001, when the Miller Brewers tagged along with them the Klement’s Sausage Race when they moved to the miller park. This became a tradition that would entertain fans on ever sixth inning of a game. This tradition brought the community members together. 2007, the growing latino population in Milwaukee were embraced into the community by adding their participant in the race, Chorizo. This race has harmonized cultural diversity in Milwaukee using diverse sausage weenies. These weenies race while showcasing different character traits of the cultures they represent (Baim, 2010).
Conclusion
A large portion land in the Village of West Milwaukee and Menomee valley before the park was constructed was environmentally polluted and wasted. It appeared useless and of no value. This new park brought in a new focus to this region, right at its center. It gave the community a new identification of holding the largest baseball stadium with state-of-the-art fittings. The adjacent areas have been directly impacted by a face shift in their infrastructure and benefited from various government and private projects.
The success of this park has depicted how a public-private financial partnership, with receptive communities, can rejuvenate a r

References
Baim, D. (2010). The sports stadium as a municipal investment. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood
Press.
Messina, L. (2009). Sports in America. New York: H.W. Wilson.