PHOTO: Courtesy of FOX 11
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The mayor of Green Bay says he looks forward to engaging in good faith negotiation with the Packers as the two sides continue Lambeau Field lease discussions.
Earlier this week the team issued the city a new offer to extend the lease for Lambeau Field after public back-and-forth between the two sides.
The Packers report the new offer includes an annual increase in rent payments from the Packers to the city that is part of the current Lambeau Field lease. Previous offers from the team kept rent payments flat, which city officials have characterized as a “non-starter.”
On Friday, Green Bay mayor Eric Genrich confirmed the city received the offer.
We’re pleased the Packers have heard some of the City’s concerns and are making significant commitments about their continued term and investment in Lambeau – it’s a positive step. That said, this issue is too critical to the City’s future to debate in the media, and we look forward to engaging in a good faith negotiation directly with the team.
The Packers currently pay the city annual rent payments that go up 2.75% each year. The Packers’ previous offers have included an extension up to 30 years, but did not include that annual escalator, which city officials argue is about a $30 million difference for city taxpayers.
The Packers have said it’s important to extend the lease now so they can execute that $1.5 billion plan to keep Lambeau Field among the best stadiums in the league. They say the longer this drags on, the more costly it could be and increases the chances of asking taxpayers for money.
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