GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The city of Green Bay’s Redevelopment Authority has approved plans for a new baseball stadium and outdoor events center.
The project from the Green Bay Bullfrogs would build the new stadium near the Mason Street Bridge as early as next spring.
“If this project were to get going more quickly it’s something that could happen for 2017, and by 2017 we mean opening day of the baseball season, April, May, but most likely we’re looking at 2018,” Big Top Baseball COO Conor Caloia said, according to FOX 11.
The new attraction envisioned on a vacant 13-acre lot overlooking the Fox River could bring 200,000 visitors to Green Bay while hosting 150 events each year, the team estimates.
“The Bullfrogs are just a fraction of what will be happening, in addition to concerts potentially local high schools playing there, youth team,” said Caloia.
The team is asking the city to pitch in $4 million toward the $9 million project. That support could come from the excess Lambeau Field sales tax money.
“Well $4 million is a lot of money, but this is an investment,” Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt told FOX 11. “For the city to continue what we’re doing of attracting young talent to this community and remain competitive with Milwaukee and Madison this is the right project.”
However, some residents of the Joannes Park neighborhood are against the plan. They believe the Bullfrogs moving out of the area could have a negative impact.
“One thing falls, then the next thing falls and so on and so fourth we don’t want to see that happen,” said Shawn Kassien, president of Joannes Park neighborhood association. He explained the park has been in his neighborhood since 1929.
Caloia denies the team leaving Joannes Park would force it to sit idle.
“There is a waiting list, and if we were to leave Joannes Park it would get more use than it does now,” said Caloia.
The plans will now head to the full city council. Schmitt hopes the council will green-light the proposal by the end of May.
