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'It's very difficult to accept'

Miller Park opening moved to April 2001

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Posted: Monday September 13, 1999 02:19 PM

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Milwaukee Brewers' new stadium will not open until April 2001 because of an accident that killed three workers at the site this summer.

The board overseeing the project voted 13-0 Monday to approve a new construction schedule. The target date for Miller Park to be completed is March 2001.

"It was very difficult to accept," said Michael Duckett, the board's executive director. "We tried exhaustive ways to change the answer and it just couldn't be done."

The April 2001 opening is in line with recommendations from the project's lead construction firm. The ballpark had been scheduled to be ready for opening day next season.

The construction firm, Huber, Hunt and Nichols, said in a report to the stadium board that it would take 12,000 people working 58 hours each a week for 42 weeks to open immediately after the All-Star break in 2000.

"That's not safe, nor is it practical. It just can't happen," said Frank Busalacchi, the chairman of the board's construction committee.

The Brewers had conceded last week that the stadium would not open at the start of next season.

The construction delay stemmed from the accident July 14 when a 2,100-ton crane collapsed onto a wall, killing three workers.

The Brewers have spent the last five years planning for the move to Miller Park, which will allow them to increase revenue.

"We are essentially looking to Miller Park to make us somewhere in the $90 to $100 million a year range, which is significantly more than we're making now," said Laurel Prieb, the Brewers' vice president for corporate affairs.

Unlike Milwaukee County Stadium, Miller Park will feature luxury seating and a retractable roof.

"With an entry into Miller Park, we would expect a growth into all areas of our business," Prieb said. "It's fair to assume the player payroll would be a part of that."

 

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