MILWAUKEE — Taking things to new heights, Summerfest has safely and successfully raised the roof of the American Family Insurance Amphitheater to almost twice its original height.
“This facility will be one of the finest in the country,” said Joel Becker, vice president of field operations for Hunzinger Construction.
The roof lift marks a major design milestone for phase one of the redevelopment of the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. The roof originally was 39 feet. Now it’s 65 feet.
“We’re really preparing this building for the generations to come,” said Don Smiley, president and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival Inc.
“The lifting of the roof was a monumental task, something that is rarely seen,” Becker said.
The lifting process took about four hours. Crews used a cable lifting system — pulling the roof up from above instead of pushing it up from below.
The grand opening for the completely reconstructed amphitheater is slated for 2020.
