GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — It’s being called one of the most exciting pieces of lakefront property on the Great Lakes in decades.
Brown County leaders say developing the old Public Service Pulliam Power Plant site at the mouth of the Fox River is a game-changer.
Of the 14 Port of Green Bay businesses along the Fox River, port officials say the one closest to the bay, holds a lot of potential.
“We’d like to develop a modern, state-of-the-art terminal there for the port,” said Mark Walter, Port of Green Bay Business Development Manager.
Walter says Brown County bought the land, adjacent to the old Public Service Pulliam Plant property in January, and is hiring an engineering firm to help develop a plan. He says that would include building a new dock, raising the site above the flood plain, and filling in the old boat slip.
“And look at what’s actually feasible given the types of soils there, everything else that may have been on that site over the last hundred years. What are the options that we actually have from an engineering standpoint,” said Walter.
Port leaders say the site could be a new home for C. Reiss Coal Company, which operates a coal dock just upstream along the Fox River in downtown Green Bay. City and county leaders have been working for years to find another location for those operations to free that site up for redevelopment. On Thursday morning business continued at C. Reiss. Meanwhile, the county is moving ahead with the new port development site.
“We’ll create a terminal. A business opportunity. We’ll make the facility there that could be used by a C. Reiss, or by anybody else,” said Walter.
The port director says any development is still years away.
“You’re probably looking at maybe some construction in ’23, but most likely ’24. And then, if it’s a one-year construction? Probably not. Is it a two-year construction project? So that will be into ’25 before it’s available. If the dominos all fall perfect,” said Dean Haen, Port of Green Bay Director.
County leaders say according to early estimates, it could take about $25 million to develop the site. A partnership between county, state and federal agencies was created to help cover the cost.
Comments