Walls, zinc panels coming soon for new Milwaukee Bucks arena

As the steel "ribs" that give the Milwaukee Bucks' new arena its swooping shape are set into place, installation isn't far off for the zinc panels that will provide the signature color and feel to the massive facility.

That may seem odd, like a finishing touch being applied before the building is completed. But that's the nature of the aggressive construction schedule for the $524 million facility that is to open in time for the 2018-19 NBA season.

First comes the assembly of the arena's exterior walls, a process that will start in about a month, proceed rapidly and look familiar to most people.

The walls will be formed by panels that are 10 feet long and only a couple of inches thick and consist of solid foam insulation sheathed by thin sheets of metal. The pieces will be lifted into place and attached to the steel ribs. They interlock with each other, not unlike giant kids' construction blocks.

Once it gets under way, installation of the panels will go quickly, said Denver Callahan, senior superintendent for Mortenson Construction, construction manager for the arena that's rapidly taking shape just north of the Bucks current home, the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Work on the project "flows" from west to east, so the first panels will be hung into place starting with the corner at the intersection of N. 6th St. and W. Juneau Ave. and then move east along the north side of the building facing Juneau.

Plans call for the arena to be enclosed and weather tight by Thanksgiving. Interior work will then begin in earnest, accompanied by a large increase in the number of workers on the site, from about 275 now to 800 at the end of the year, Callahan said.

The zinc touch will come during the summer. Those panels stirred some of the most passionate debate over the design of the arena, with some detractors saying they would give the arena a "Rust Belt" feel. Project designers, however, said the zinc panels can take on the look of wood or leather and will change appearance in varying degrees of light.

A sample of those panels is on display outside in the warren of pre-fab offices on the northeast side of the construction site along the Park East corridor. Up close, the panels have a sturdy, rough feel, with a ruddy bronze hue.

One of the most-asked questions about the project is will the zinc panels change color over time like copper or other metallic building finishes.

Callahan's answer: Nope. "No noticeable change with age," he said.