Without a major auto race, Milwaukee Mile's future shadows Wisconsin State Fair Park

WEST ALLIS - The Milwaukee Mile is historic, fabled and — for a large part of the year — empty.

The racing oval that once tested drivers from Barney Oldfield to Dale Earnhardt Jr. hasn't staged a major race since 2015.

So, what's the future of a facility that goes full throttle once a year during the 11-day Wisconsin State Fair? State auditors would like to know.

Earlier this month, the Legislative Audit Bureau released its review of State Fair Park operations and concluded there was no formal plan for the mostly idle Milwaukee Mile.

Auditors recommended that State Fair Park, which oversees the track, identify options "regarding the future use of the Milwaukee Mile" and make recommendations to the State Fair Park Board.

A status report is due by June 1 to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.

At the same time, if the track was closed and land made available, West Allis officials have said development there could total $1.2 billion.

The track is used by runners, a racing school, police for training, charitable groups and smaller race-related activities, with non-State Fair events generating $286,400 in revenue during the past fiscal year.

And it is a valuable asset for the annual State Fair, the infield providing needed parking and the main straight transformed into a main-stage entertainment venue with 10,000 seats.

But what it lacks are major auto races.

State Fair Park Board Chairman John Yingling has heard all the naysayers who have called the facility a white elephant. And he has heard repeated cries over the years to do something, anything, to deal with the issue.

His response: "Anytime somebody says, 'Do something,' my question is, 'How much do I have to work with?' "

"For example, if I take down the grandstands, No. 1, I need grandstands for my main stage. And No. 2, I have to pay off the debt on those grandstands and have money to take them down."

With the release of the auditor's report, Yingling said he'll create a racing committee on the board to try to plot the Milwaukee Mile's future.

In the near term, nothing much is likely to change. State Fair will keep the track as it is in the event a race can be lured to Milwaukee, but will also look for other uses such as adding a temporary stage venue in one of the turns.

How the race track got in this predicament has been a long time coming. The days are long gone when The Milwaukee Mile was a center of racing.

A number of outside promoters, as well as State Fair Park, have tried and failed in running successful racing events, some because of their ineptitude or naivete and others because of the economic realities.

No one in recent years has been able to sell enough tickets and generate enough sponsorship to offset the cost of rent plus the sanctioning fee for the race.

Even without racing, State Fair Park is paying nearly $2 million annually in debt service on the facility after six capital projects over the years, including grandstand construction and adding safety features to the track.

The fair is stuck. The Mile is a millstone. It doesn't generate much revenue, but it does support other revenue streams for the fair.

To secure another big race, more upgrades would be needed for the racetrack surface, pit lane and safety features.

State Fair, or a promoter, would also have to come up with a sanctioning fee for a major race, $1 million or more.

And, if State Fair Park decided the track must go, it would cost millions of dollars to rip up. And then what? State Fair would be paying debt service on … nothing.

The City of West Allis also has keen interest in the track's future.

"It's something that has to go one way or the other," West Allis Mayor Dan Devine said of racing at the oval.

"If racing can make it and become profitable and effective there more than just one or two events a year, then that is great," said Devine, who has a seat on the State Fair Park Board. "But if it can't …"

As part of its 2030 comprehensive development plan, West Allis re-imagined The Milwaukee Mile property and estimated the site could contain $1.2 billion in development value. The land is owned by the state.

Taking a leaf from famed architect and developer Daniel Burnham's idea to "make no little plans," West Allis Director of Development John Stibal and his staff created a big plan.

Stibal's vision included a mixed-use development, public plaza and exposing Honey Creek, which is currently channeled underground.

"The plan was supposed to spark discussion, controversy and broad thinking," Stibal said. "And sometime, it's going to do that."

Auditors noted that the plan might not be practical "because it would result in the loss of this space for concerts, parking and other activities that are currently important aspects of the State Fair."

Yingling said the loss of such property would make it "near impossible for the Wisconsin State Fair to survive as it is today."

So, the Milwaukee Mile remains intact, waiting for a plan and the familiar rumble of auto engines.