GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Just a stone’s throw from Bay Beach Amusement Park, which was bustling with activity in the first few days of summer vacation, a group of local officials gathered at the Bay Beach Pavilion.
The spot where Governor Tony Evers, Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, and former Mayor Jim Schmitt stood was once a sandy beach many years ago.
The group assembled had gathered to discuss the idea of turning back the clock and specifically, bringing the beach back to Bay Beach.
Governor Evers mentioned that the summer spot used to be a major attraction in the area and even the state.
“One hundred years ago, Bay Beach was a popular swimming destination that saw hundreds of visitors each day during the summer,” he explains.
The city has launched a campaign to bring back that attraction and Evers says the capital is supportive.
At the conference, he announced a grant to go towards the project.
“This grant for a $100,000 from the Coastal Management Program to the city of Green Bay supports the efforts to re-establish that swimming beach,” says Evers.
The money will technically go towards constructing a new, ADA-accessible shoreline walk.
A major concern preventing the beach from reopening for a long time has been water quality.
Mayor Eric Genrich says, thankfully, that trend has been reversed.
“We’ve failed to realize that we’ve had a pretty dysfunctional relationship with our natural resources here,” he explains. “But that’s been changing, especially in recent years.”
Governor Evers agrees that enough work has been done to safely make this move.
“Water quality has greatly improved since the Clean Water Act was enacted,” he explains. “And with various and other state and local efforts, re-opening this swimming beach is now a real possibility.”
But before the beach can re-open, all the money needs to add up.
Former Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt may be out of office after choosing to not seek re-election this past April, but his involvement in the Bay Beach project will continue.
“I’m going to complete that,” he explains. “It’s part of a project that I’ve believed in since I was first elected back in 2003.”
Schmitt says his job is to help secure the necessary private fundraising dollars.
“It’s something that I do want to complete and something that the mayor asked me to,” he says. “We need another $190,000 to reach our $7-million [goal].”
The former mayor stopped short of specifically laying out their gameplan for acquiring those funds, but did hint towards a naming rights campaign.
“You’re going to be hearing from me in the next couple of months about $5,000 will get your name on this beautiful plaque honoring your legacy and your family for years to come,” explains Schmitt.
So while a detailed timeline isn’t possible at this time, Mayor Genrich hopes that things can move along as quickly as possible.
His mantra: “Build it and they will come.”
“Latest numbers, we see three million visitors a year here at Bay Beach,” says Genrich. “We expect that to grow with a swimmable beach.”
