Will Frontier Airlines Center be renamed?

MILWAUKEE -- When it took over Midwest Airlines, it promised to keep a prominent presence in Milwaukee. Now, just two years later, Frontier Airlines is losing ground, and some wonder what that means to its namesake convention center in downtown Milwaukee.

Huge reductions in routes and flights by Frontier Airlines have caused some concern for the Wisconsin Center District. The District operates the Frontier Airlines Convention Center. The facility has been known as the Frontier Airlines Center since last April. Before that, it carried the name of Midwest Airlines.

The chairman of the District, Frank Gimbel, tells the Business Journal preliminary discussions with Frontier about renewing the naming rights agreement "have not left the District feeling very secure." He says by mid-year, the District plans to identify potential candidates to "step up to the plate" to replace Frontier if necessary. When asked about the possibility of a deal with Southwest Airlines, Gimbel said "anything is possible."

Frontier's $500,000 a year current agreement runs through June 2013. A spokesman for Frontier says a decision about renewing the deal will be made then.

For more information on this story, check out the Business Journal.