PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Brown County leaders have reached a preliminary agreement with C. Reiss Company to move the downtown Green Bay coal piles.
County Executive Troy Streckenbach and County Board Chair Patrick Buckley announced only a few details Tuesday afternoon in Madison, where they are attending a conference.
The deal is specifically related to language about leasing and design. Officials said there were tweaks made to a tentative deal passed in June, but Streckenbach and Buckley weren’t able to share specifics.
“Inside the 10-point agreement, there are specific languages in there about the design and the leasing. This was one of those major milestones that both C. Reiss and the county have come to an agreement,” said Streckenbach.
Although there is still more negotiating for both sides to be done, Streckenbach said the timing is critical.
“By us coming in agreement, it allows us to stay in compliance with the state grant that we received,” he said.
A special meeting has been called for Wednesday evening so the full Brown County Board can evaluate the deal.
“We’ll meet in closed session and go through the agreement line by line, with the attorneys present to help explain,” said Buckley.
If passed, Streckenbach said construction at the former Pulliam Power Plant site would begin immediately. He says the county hopes to have the site ready by 2028 or 2029.
There have been previous agreements between the county and C. Reiss Company, which owns the piles. A tentative agreement last year needed more negotiation, both sides said.
In a statement, C. Reiss said it may comment later in the week.
Brown County has accumulated about $33 million in state and federal grants to expand port operations to the former Pulliam power plant site at the mouth of the Fox River. Last month, Gov. Tony Evers’ office announced a $1.3 million Harbor Assistance Program grant for prep work at the site.
The project was expected to cost $50 million or more, but the five base bids submitted by the Nov. 18 deadline ranged from $41.8 million to $47.6 million.
As for what could replace the coal piles south of the Mason Street Bridge, C. Reiss has said it plans to redevelop 10 acres for mixed use and the remaining 25 acres will be for light industrial use.
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