MATC Receives Preliminary Approval to Lease New Athletic Training Facility in Deer District

Facility would be co-developed and co-owned by J. Jeffers & Company and the Milwaukee Bucks

Darryll Fortune, fortundl@matc.edu

July 17, 2024

Stormers

Our student-athletes and the MATC community deserve a new facility to serve our athletics programs and aid in our ability to attract and retain students.

Dr. Anthony Cruz MATC President

Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) is excited to announce it is exploring the lease of a new shared-use athletic training facility in Deer District near the college’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus. The announcement follows approval of the project concept by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board at its July board meeting. 

The college envisions a facility that would primarily serve MATC’s fitness and health programs, and athletics, including women’s basketball, men’s basketball and women’s volleyball. The shared-use facility, which would be co-developed and co-owned by the Milwaukee Bucks and J. Jeffers & Company, could also allow for community engagement and rentals for camps, educational programs and events.

Dr. Cruz“Our student-athletes and the MATC community deserve a new facility to serve our athletics programs and aid in our ability to attract and retain students,” said MATC President Anthony Cruz, Ed.D. “Community colleges across the country are growing their offerings to enhance the student experience. We are fortunate to collaborate with two quality, well-known local partners to potentially bring a best-in-class facility to our students and community.”

If plans advance, construction could begin as early as the second quarter in 2025. The facility would include a 15,000-square-foot double-court gymnasium that seats up to 1,000, a fitness center, locker rooms, concessions, meeting rooms and other amenities for a total of just over 26,000 square feet. In addition, J. Jeffers & Company will build and manage 220 housing units above the proposed athletic facility.

“MATC is a vibrant, transformative, and diverse technical college, and we are delighted that the college’s leaders are exploring a first-class sports venue in Deer District for their students’ recreation and highly acclaimed sports teams,” said Michael Belot, Bucks Senior Vice President of Business Operations and Chief Real Estate Development Officer. “We’re excited that Deer District is rapidly growing as a hub for the city’s future, serving as Milwaukee’s premier year-round destination to live, work, and play.”

The facility also serves to attract and retain students to the college. MATC’s Stormers men’s basketball team won its first-ever National Junior College Athletic Association Division II championship in 2023, and other athletic teams are moving up to NJCAA Division II, which means the college can offer students additional athletic scholarships.

Additional details about the athletic training facility will be shared as plans progress.

About MATC: As Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

About J. Jeffers & Company: Jeffers & Co., headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a mission-driven real estate development and investment firm. With a core commitment to historic preservation, adaptive reuse, along with architecturally sensitive new construction, J. Jeffers & Co. strives to create value for both our investors and the communities we work in. The firm specializes in complex transformations and financial transactions, working to make a broader development impact that extends beyond the physical structure and includes increasing property values, creating jobs, and preserving historic structures.

About Deer District: Deer District is Milwaukee’s newest neighborhood and is redefining the city’s downtown. Anchored by the world-class Fiserv Forum, a preeminent sports and entertainment venue and home to the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, the 30-acre Deer District is Milwaukee’s premier location for people to live, work and play, and is a hub for the city’s vibrant future. A year-round destination, Deer District features a myriad of dining and entertainment options in addition to Fiserv Forum including The MECCA Sports Bar & Grill, The Cluckery, The Beer Garden, Good City Brewing, Drink Wisconsinbly Pub, Fat Tuesday, The New Fashioned and Insomnia Cookies. Deer District also features a large plaza which serves as an ideal setting to enjoy live music, festivals, outdoor movies, fitness classes and other events. Additionally, Deer District includes GATHER at Deer District, the Bucks’ state-of-the-art training center, the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center, the 550 Ultra Lofts apartment building and The Trade Milwaukee, a 200-plus room Marriott Autograph Collection hotel, which are located directly across from Fiserv Forum. Future developments for Deer District include a FPC Live operated music venue, a five-story mixed-use development in partnership with J. Jeffers Co., and further commercial, office space and real estate. For more information on Deer District, visit DeerDistrict.com.