Green Bay Public Market primary logo (Image courtesy GBPM)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Rising production costs have once again delayed the opening of the Green Bay Public Market, with officials now projecting it won’t be complete until sometime next year.
“We broke ground in October, and then we went out to bid and costs came back a little higher. That’s the story of a lot of construction projects — especially large ones as ambitious as this — so that kind of rearranged our timeline,” said Brooke Hafs, vice president of donor engagement for On Broadway, Inc.
The redevelopment of Old Fort Square at 211 N. Broadway was first announced in January 2022, with plans to open at some point in 2023. When that targeted opening became unattainable, plans shifted to have the project complete in March 2025, just in time for Titletown to host the NFL Draft in late April.
That date has come and gone, and efforts to have the Public Market open this summer have also stalled. Now, officials are hoping to open the market sometime in 2026.
“Ideally, we have this this open before next year’s Farmers’ Market, so that we can work through any of those pre-opening kinks and make sure that it’s seamless when the crowds start rushing in from the Farmers’ Market,” Hafs said.
The project’s new cost sits at $22 million. Officials are working to secure a $3 million allocation in the 2025-27 state budget and acquire an additional $2 million by the end of 2025 through fundraising efforts and philanthropy.
Hafs said phased construction will begin as early as next week.
The Green Bay Public Market is expected to attract more than one million visitors to downtown Green Bay each year and provide year-round access to fresh produce and goods. Hafs said they are planning to have 24 food-focused merchants on the market’s first floor — half of which have already been secured.
“We want to make sure we have the right mix and that we have all of those staple tenants,” Hafs said. “You need a good meat vendor, you need seafood, cheese, wine, beers — all the things that are people’s favorite in Green Bay.”
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