A rendering for the proposed Shipyard area on Green Bay's near west side. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The budget for the public portion of Green Bay’s Shipyard site is going up to $24 million, up from $10 million when the project’s development agreement was originally reached in 2018.
Floating docks, a kayak launch, and riverfront promenade are expected to be ready for use at the Shipyard by July, according to city officials.
“I tell lots of people, guys this is a great new city park that’s happening right down on the river where we’re always wanting to activate,” said Matt Schueller, the vice president of Green Bay’s Redevelopment Authority.
While the cost of the work keeps going up, so is the amount of federal and state grant money awarded.
The city’s contribution is now at more than $16.6 million. However, the city has also secured more than $7.3 million in grants.
The city plans to pay for its portion with tax revenue from new development in the area. No tax levy dollars are planned to pay for the development.
Two projects expected to go a long way in helping pay for the city’s portion include a 225-unit apartment project from Merge Urban Development. It’s property value is estimated at $21 million and construction is expected to start in August.
Across Broadway, the city is gathering proposals to build 200 more housing units that would be on top of retail space and a fire station.
“Other fire departments have done this in Chicago, DC, Minneapolis and it’s been proven to work really well,” said Matt Buchanan, Green Bay’s deputy development director.
The new fire station would replace the nearby Shawano Avenue station, which is about 90 years old.
“If you think about it, a lot of our fire departments are located in residential areas, so people do already live across the street from a fire department and there’s ways we can mitigate any nuisance with sound,” said Buchanan when asked why people would want to live on top of a fire station.
Back across the street, work on phase 2 of the Shipyard’s public amenities could begin as early as the end of this year. It will include a great lawn for concerts and events up to 8,000 people, a dog park, adventure playground, urban beach, and more.
There is also a phase three for the public portion of the Shipyard. It includes old shipping containers to house season or limited time businesses. There is no timeline for when that work could begin.
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