PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Brown County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Wednesday on a new agreement with C. Reiss Company to relocate the coal piles in downtown Green Bay.
The final vote was 21-0, with five supervisors excused.
“Unanimous vote to me shows that the county has always been committed to designing and building out the port, but most importantly, also looking at how can we help the city of Green Bay,” said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach.
The deal was first announced Tuesday, but no specifics were released. On Wednesday, we learned Brown County and C. Reiss have agreed to 14 lease points.
Significant details in the agreement include the finalization of infrastructure design. That allows Zenith Tech, which won the construction bid, to start working on the Pulliam site.
“We have a design, and earth moving equipment’s going to start next week,” said Streckenbach. He added the goal is for that site to be ready in 2028 or 2029. Once it is finished, it’ll be ready to store salt that is currently held at the Fox River Terminal. That allows for the coal at Mason Street to be moved there.
Both sides still need to finalize a lease agreement before March 5.
Streckenbach and County Board Chair Pat Buckley called the deal a major milestone.
C. Reiss Company shared the following statement after Wednesday’s vote:
Tonight’s County Board vote is an important step forward in the effort to expand capacity at the Port of Green Bay and advance the redevelopment of the former Pulliam site. C. Reiss has proudly served the Green Bay community for more than 100 years, and we appreciate the work of Brown County, the City of Green Bay, and state partners as we move toward finalizing and executing the lease.
The Agreement of Lease Points was approved by resolution.
After Wednesday’s vote was passed, Streckenbach took a moment to thank local state lawmakers, like State Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Gillett, who helped secure $20 million towards this project in last year’s state budget.
In a statement, Wimberger said, in part:
Securing a deal that relocates the coal piles from downtown Green Bay to the former Pulliam Power Plant site is a major win for Brown County and the region.
State Rep. Ben Franklin, R-De Pere, also helped secure that money. He said, in part:
This investment will strengthen the Port of Green Bay, improve environmental conditions, and open the door to long-term economic opportunities that benefit our entire community.
It’ll still be years before the coal is moved away from its current site along Mason Street, but there is encouragement about this progress.
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