GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Thankfully with dipping temperatures and gusting wind it wasn’t a three-hour tour with Gilligan and company, but a quick stomp around Renard Island on Monday morning was enough time to open eyes to the unique opportunity Brown County has at their disposal.
Not only does 55-acres of unused waterfront property not come around often, but rarely is there so many options for the land’s usage.
The public will have an opportunity to weigh in and voice their opinion starting on Tuesday, October 16 regarding the future of that valuable waterfront property.
One of the main draws to the island will be the scenic vantage point it offers.
“We are Green Bay… Where else do you see the bay?” says Mark Walter, Business Manager with the Port & Resource Recovery Department.
“We have a unique view here that you don’t have anywhere else in the bay of Green Bay,” he says.
The location itself is valuable since it’s next to Bay Beach Amusement Park, which draws approximately 3.5 million visitors each year.
“This island will likely be something to complement Bay Beach,” says Dean Haen, Port of Green Bay Director.
The island’s ease of access is a component that officials hope will just add to its appeal.
“It’s closer to shore than a typical island would be,” explains Walter. “It really offers us an opportunity to be able to tie in the shore and actually bring it to the community for use.”
Not only is it a prime location, but the area is big enough to entertain a multitude of different uses.
“It’s 55-acres, there might be opportunities for many other partners, agencies, both public and private, that could do something on the island,” says Haen.
This is where officials are looking for the communities help.
The planning method being utilized is called a Charette, which features a team of experts continually involving the public to create a plan on a short timeline.
The next step of that process begins on Tuesday, October 16 and continues thru Thursday, October 18 with a three-day interactive planning event being held at the T2 Accelerator on North Broadway Street in Downtown Green Bay.
Each night at 6 PM a public workshop will be held inside the design studio and there is no charge for participation.
Approximately one hour long tours of the island will be available on Tuesday, October 16 at 9 and 10 AM.
Some preliminary ideas have been recreational projects, such as trails, viewing areas, and fishing piers.
Officials also have indicated that the island could become a year-round attraction with possible winter activities being incorporated into a final plan.
The island was originally constructed in 1978 and provided an area for placement of approximately 2.7 million cubic yards of contaminated, dredged sediment.
A final closure plan was later agreed upon, which detailed the construction of a cover of clean dredged material and resulted in a causeway being built to access the island.
