Cobalt plans 50 million youth sports complex in Brown Deer

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A Milwaukee developer announced plans for a $50 million development of a “next-generation, youth sports-anchored destination” in Brown Deer.

Cobalt Partners on Thursday announced plans to acquire a 16-acre site and build a youth sports and events complex along North Arbon Drive south of Brown Deer Road. The village of Brown Deer will meet Monday to decide whether to approve an agreement with Cobalt to redevelop vacant land on the 8600 block of North Arbon Drive, a village agenda showed.

Cobalt’s vision is for a walkable district that mixes sports and recreation with hospitality, small-scale retail and community gathering spaces mindful of the existing environment, developer officials said in a news release.

The complex will include two hockey rinks, multiple basketball, volleyball and futsal courts, a turf field, a wellness-focused medical element, a food and beverage program and other uses related to sports and fitness, officials said.

Cobalt Partners reached out to Sports Facilities Companies, a leader in planning and management of highly performing sports and recreation venues, to lead programming, design and financial modeling for the complex, officials added.

“This project is about more than just sports – we see it as a reliable catalyst to bring the community together around health, activity and entertainment, while also attracting regional tourism and supporting local business,” said Scott Yauck, president and CEO of Cobalt Partners, in a statement.

Under a letter of intent, Cobalt will lead site acquisition and entitlement, master planning and development officials said. The village will support the project through a recently created tax increment financing district, officials added.

The village will also commission a market study, help with infrastructure zoning and planning and consider using tax revenues to support project feasibility, officials said.

“Over the last several years, we’ve been approached to lead similar efforts, but have often struggled to bridge the financial gap,” Yauck said. “This opportunity feels different. We have strong demand, a highly supportive and forward-thinking municipality, an easily accessible location central to the North Shore, a clear void in the market and a growing list of stakeholders and prospective sponsors aligned with our vision,” he added.

“As communities across the country harness the power of youth sports and experience-driven design, Brown Deer is poised to become a regional leader in this next wave of dynamic placemaking,” said Wanda Montgomery, village president of Brown Deer, in a statement. “Cobalt brings a strong track record of executing transformative public-private developments across Wisconsin and we look forward to working together on this exciting effort,” she added.

Four miles of the proposed site, Cobalt Partners is leading OneNorth, a mixed-use development at North Port Washington and Brown Deer Roads. The developer also worked on 84South in Greenfield and White Stone Station in Menomonee Falls.