GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Mayor Jim Schmitt says he and his staff have done everything in their power to bring a new ballpark and entertainment district called The Shipyard to downtown Green Bay.
“While the outdoor event center is something that is critical to rejuvenating that neighborhood, we need a private sector investment.”
The private investment proposed is an Anduzzi’s restaurant and a 2,000-person capacity concert hall from Festival Foods President and CEO Mark Skogen. Both would be attached to the $11 million outdoor events center.
Schmitt tells FOX 11 he believes the way some city council members treat developers is a reason Skogen is now considering taking his concert hall to Ashwaubenon.
“I think there is some frustration with the way the city council is dragging their feet in this, the lack of participation that the city is doing. They amended an agreement that we thought was solid.”
The agreement Schmitt is alluding to is for the stadium portion of the Shipyard proposal.
One key change the council made to the deal is requiring development agreements with both Anduzzi’s and Skogen before the end of the year.
Aldermen Guy Zima and Chris Wery believe the council proved their support through a 9 to 3 vote for the amended development agreement.
“We’ve already shown that we’re interested,” said Wery. “I don’t know why it’s off the rails now.”
The aldermen point to the fact that Skogen’s concert hall hasn’t been brought to the council yet for a vote.
Zima says Schmitt is partly to blame because they say his office controls all development proposals.
“The mayor has brought nothing to us. We’ve passed two concessions to make a lot available if somebody makes a proposal, but it has not happened yet.”
Schmitt says he hopes the council will hold final votes for all three components of the Shipyard next month.
That’s the same time frame Skogen says he’d like to make an official announcement for where his concert hall will be built.
The stadium would be programmed 180 days a year, including Bullfrogs baseball, high school athletics, and minor league soccer.
The development agreement calls for the Bullfrogs’ owners to put in $1 million, with the Stadium District Board pitching in $500,000. The remaining $9.5 million would come from the city.
The money would eventually be paid back through a 20-year lease agreement with the Bullfrogs’ owners and tax revenue created from any new development in the area.
