GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – As the Green Bay Bullfrogs began its final season at Joannes Stadium Thursday night, a replacement team is in the works for the 89-year-old stadium.
The Bullfrogs, which play in the Northwoods League, announced in February that it will move into a new $10 million stadium next season in Ashwaubenon.
While not providing specifics, Green Bay Co-interim Parks Director James Anderson tells FOX 11 the city is currently discussing bringing a new baseball team to Joannes for next summer.
“They would be a level below the Northwoods,” said Anderson.
“They’d still be adult, collegiate and post-collegiate players, that really high caliber of baseball, but it wouldn’t necessarily bring in all the entertainment that the Bullfrogs did.”
Green Bay is still hoping for 100 baseball games a summer at Joannes, and a new main tenant that would eventually equal the revenue generated from the Bullfrogs’ agreement.
“There will be a lot of good baseball being played at Joannes for many years to come,” said Anderson.
As for the Bullfrogs’ new home in Ashwaubenon, nothing has happened yet, but village president Mary Kardoskee tells FOX 11 they’re hoping to break ground by early September.
“We’re trying to work through where we’re putting everything.”
With the layout and design work still being done, the village doesn’t have renderings of the stadium yet.
Kardoskee says the architect is planning on incorporating the two empty buildings on the six-acre property.
“Part of it will become upper-level hospitality suites, part of it will be parts that will be office, concessions, restrooms.”
The Ashwaubenon stadium will be built to seat 2,500 people. The capacity with standing room will be 4,000 people.
It will be paid for through a 20-year lease with the Bullfrogs’ owners, Big Top Baseball, and tax revenue the village hopes to generate from new development in the area.
Bullfrogs fans at the team’s home opener say they will follow the team to Ashwaubenon.
