GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The company that was planning to be the private anchor for Green Bay’s proposed Shipyard District is no longer part of the project. However, the city says it has a replacement project ready.
In October 2018, Breakthrough Fuel announced it was building its headquarters at the Shipyard, on the western edge of the Fox River, just north of the Mason Street Bridge.
The $8 million headquarters for the fuel management company was originally going to come with $1 million in city financial assistance.
Breakthrough, which employs about 90 people, says it now projects to build a $15 million headquarters, however, a new location hasn’t been picked.
“The City and Breakthrough continue to meet regularly and are both committed to finding an ideal location for Breakthrough’s expanded corporate headquarters,” Mayor Eric Genrich, Alderman Brian Johnson, and Green Bay Economic Development Director Kevin Vonck wrote in a joint statement.
“Breakthrough and the City have recognized the Shipyard location isn’t going to meet the needs of the company, but that has not diminished the desire to continue what has been a fruitful and mutually-beneficial relationship. We are excited about future development at the Shipyard and look forward to the continued expansion of Green Bay’s vibrant and dynamic downtown.”
The approximately 40,000 square-foot building was going to allow Breakthrough to consolidate its employees to one building, from the three current locations they are spread between.
In an emailed statement, Breakthrough Marketing Director Erin Blaha wrote, “we are working diligently to identify and secure a new location for our headquarters.”
Blaha says upon further evaluation of the Shipyard site, Breakthrough determined the site no longer met the company’s requirements.
Vonck tells FOX 11 while the city is confident it will secure a new location for Breakthrough, the company told the city it has an alternate site outside the city it is also considering.
“Ultimately our job is to be able to deliver that alternative and put together potentially an incentive package that keeps them here in the city.”
Vonck says a new project for where Breakthrough was going to build on the Shipyard site will be revealed today and discussed at next Tuesday’s Redevelopment Authority meeting.
“It’s something we’ve been looking for and I think it’s going to bring a good amount of value to the Shipyard and really compliment a lot of the other things that we’re doing down there.”
The city’s portion of the Shipyard idea comes with an $11 million price tag and includes a great lawn for concerts and festivals, a shipping container park for temporary businesses, an urban beach, dog park, splash pad, beer garden, and marina.
$1 million is going toward revitalizing the neighborhood near the Shipyard.
The public amenities would be paid for through tax revenue generated from new development in the area, like the project replacing Breakthrough’s headquarters.
So far, the city has bonded $2 million toward the project to prep the site for construction.
The goal is to start construction this year on the city’s portion of the Shipyard.
