Trying to pin down an exact time that the implosion of the roof of the Bradley Center will take place on Sunday?
Just this morning, officials announced that the demolition is scheduled to take place between 9 and 9:30 a.m.
Workers will set explosive charges that will cause the roof of the doomed arena to fall into the building's bowl and to make the demolition work safer and cleaner for crews.
Dropping the debris into the bowl is less potentially dangerous than having workers undertake the task manually while hoisted 100 feet up.
Yesterday afternoon, the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works issued an alert saying North Vel R. Phillips Avenue from West State Street to West Highland Avenue and West State Street from North Vel R. Phillips Avenue to North 6th Street will be closed to traffic on Sunday, 6 to 11 a.m., "to ensure a safe boundary during demolition of the roof atop the Bradley Center located at 1001 North Vel R. Phillips Avenue."
As the DPW warns, drivers "are advised to slow down, abide by the construction signage, and add extra time navigating this area or use an alternate route to and from their destinations."
Good advice. Go watch, but please stay safe.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
