GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A potential 50-meter Olympic pool could be in the works from a public-private partnership with the City of Green Bay and Tundra Lodge.
On Tuesday, city leaders met to discuss the presentation by the owner of Tundra Lodge and a representative given to Green Bay’s Redevelopment Authority.
The pool would be open to the public, built on the hotel’s property and would require a $3 million commitment from the city.
“For a lot of reasons this is a better option. Financially, as it’s laid out, its millions of dollars of savings to the taxpayers of Green Bay but equally as important is it’s a catalyst for economic development for that whole uptown district that’s going to connect with Titletown,” said Mayor Jim Schmitt, adding this option could make more sense than the Colburn Pool.
Schmitt says it would likely cost more than $6 million to build that size pool.
But Alderman Chris Wery says considering other possibilities now isn’t fair to supporters who’ve already raised $1 million toward the Colburn Pool.
He also says tax dollars should not be going towards any private option.
“To suddenly try to slide in at the last moment and pull the rug out from under them I think is a raw deal. So they can look elsewhere for assistance but I won’t be voting for any from the city of Green Bay,” he said, according to FOX 11.
The plan put forth by officials from Tundra Lodge was purely informational and the RDA took no action on it. However, a formal proposal could come in a matter of weeks.
