GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Green Bay leaders are starting to look at the phasing of construction for its downtown Shipyard District.
They are doing that knowing it could be tricky to build an entertainment and recreation gathering space in the middle of a global pandemic.
“In that same aspect, I think there is a lot of potential with this site to do some things people want to do,” said Kevin Vonck, the city’s Economic Development Director.
“In terms of concerts, maybe I’m not going to go to a concert inside, but spread out on a lawn, maybe I’m comfortable doing that.”
Vonck tells FOX 11 filling and grading work is almost complete, meaning construction could finally be the next step in bringing the long-awaited Shipyard project to life.
“I think you do want to get some things in the ground right away to provide an amenity to that neighborhood. It’s a community that really has waited 30, 40 years, we’re finally doing something with it, so just to have the dirt moving in there is a sign of progress.”
The city is now deciding how it wants to phase construction, knowing it might have to wait a year or two on some aspects of the project as the coronavirus pandemic plays out.
The city’s portion of the Shipyard includes a great lawn for events, a shipping container park for small or temporary businesses, a dog park, urban beach, and other gathering areas.
“A phase where we can start utilizing some of the property to show progress I think is very important,” said Gary Delveaux, chair of the city’s Redevelopment Authority.
The northern part of the site is private development: 225 market-rate apartments set to be partially ready in 2022 and fully operational in 2023.
In a virtual meeting on Tuesday, the city’s Redevelopment Authority talked mostly in closed session about what it could build first balancing the apartment construction and the pandemic.
“There was some agreement about moving forward,” said Vonck.
“As far as a construction perspective it usually does make sense to work on the waterfront and work our way back towards the inland.”
A detailed construction plan is expected to be brought forward this summer for approval. Some construction could start this fall, with a majority of the work coming next year.
Two years ago, the city council authorized spending $10 million on this project. No taxpayer money will be used, however, if everything goes according to plan. It will be paid for through tax revenue from new development in the area, like the apartment project.
The city has landed $1.5 million in grants to help pay for construction site preparation.
