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Mission Statement | Governance | Funding | Operations | Economic Impact | Financial Information
The Wisconsin Center District (WCD) is a government body created in 1994 to fund, build and operate the
Midwest Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee, and continue operating the existing venues now called the U.S.
Cellular Arena and Milwaukee Theatre. Not a unit of state, county or city government, WCD is instead a semi-autonomous
municipality called a "district," meaning its leaders are appointed and it can issue bonds and collect taxes within
strict limits.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Wisconsin Center District: to maintain, and continuously build, our professional reputation
in the convention, entertainment and sporting events industry on all levels, both locally and nationally; to
present first class facilities in the twenty-first century; to provide the most effective use of space for our
clients by utilizing the collective talents of all Wisconsin Center District employees; and to create and sustain
jobs, income, and prosperity in the Greater Milwaukee community.
Governance
WCD is governed by a fifteen-member Board of Directors mainly appointed by the Governor, the Milwaukee County Executive and the Mayor of Milwaukee. The co-chairs of the State Legislature's Joint Finance Committee serve on the board, and two members represent the hotel and restaurant industries, which derive the most benefit from a convention center.
The current Wisconsin Center District Board of Directors consists of:
Franklyn M. Gimbel, Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, Chairperson
Jack Weissgerber, Seven Seas Restaurant, Vice Chairperson
Alderman Willie L. Hines, Jr., Milwaukee Common Council President, Secretary
W. Martin Morics, City of Milwaukee Comptroller, Treasurer
Joel Brennan, Discovery World
John J. Burke, Jr., Burke Properties
Mayor Jill Didier, City of Wauwatosa
Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, City of Milwaukee
James C. Kaminski, Kaminski Consultants
Stephen H. Marcus, The Marcus Corporation
Michael Morgan, Wisconsin Secretary of Administration
Representative Jon Richards, Wisconsin State Assembly
Senator Jim Sullivan, Wisconsin State Senate
James Villa, Commercial Association of Realtors
Alderman Terry Witkowski, City of Milwaukee
Richard A. Geyer, Wisconsin Center District President & CEO
Funding
WCD receives no property tax money or State subsidy. Its funding comes from operating revenues and special sales taxes on hotel rooms,
on prepared food and drinks generally sold in restaurants and taverns, and on car rentals. Within the boundaries of
Milwaukee County, WCD collects 2% on rooms, 3% on car rentals, and 0.25% on food and beverage sales. It also receives
a 7% hotel room tax formerly collected by the City of Milwaukee. These visitor taxes primarily repay a $185 million
bond issue that funded the Midwest Airlines Center project.
This financial plan is supported by political and business leaders - in particular, Wisconsin's hotel and restaurant
associations - as an investment in economic growth. Among U.S. cities, Milwaukee is rare in that its visitor taxes are
used only for visitor-oriented facilities and services.
Operations
WCD's diverse, skilled staff of about 285 full- and part-time employees markets and maintains the facilities,
books events, and provides services to help promote and produce them. Visit Milwaukee solicits major convention and tradeshow bookings, and WCD books smaller meetings as well as sports, entertainment and consumer shows. Levy Restaurants, WCD's exclusive food service provider, books banquet, luncheons and receptions.
Most WCD employees are members of such bargaining units as the International Association of Theater & Stage Employees, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, the International Brotherhood of Painters & Allied Workers, and the Service Employees International Union.
A wide variety of businesses and entrepreneurs ranging from event planners and decorators to florists and specialty food providers do business in WCD facilities or deliver products and sevices to WCD clients.
Economic Impact
WCD exists to support Milwaukee's economy by attracting visitors and wealth to the community. In addition to the economic impact of visitor spending for rooms, meals, transportation and entertainment, WCD and its caterer, Levy Restaurants, help cultivate small and disadvantaged business development through "third-party vendor" contracts for specialty foods and other contracts for everything from construction services to printing. WCD's success in fueling local and regional prosperity is measurable in many ways, including the opening of 1,065 new downtown hotel rooms since 1996. WCD has also helped stimulate community pride and economic development on the downtown, neighborhood and metropolitan levels.
Financial Information (Click to download)
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