Milwaukee council adds city money to Bucks new arena

MILWAUKEE (AP) The city council in Milwaukee has approved its piece of the $250 million public financing package that will fund half of a new Milwaukee Bucks arena.

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Members of the Common Council on Tuesday agreed to spend $47 million in city taxpayer money to help build an arena to replace the 27-year-old BMO Harris Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee. The state and Milwaukee County have already approved their portions of the $250 million in public financing for the $500 million arena.

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Bucks president Peter Feigin (FAY'-gin) called it a ''historic day for Milwaukee and Wisconsin, and the culmination of months of hard work.''

The team hopes to have the arena ready by the start of the 2017-18 NBA season. But co-owner Mike Fascitelli recently called that tight timetable into question.