GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – New details on how people will be accessing the NFL Draft campus and where the stage will be located when the event is in Green Bay next April 24-26.
The Packers caution things could change, but they are operating under tentative plans that were shared during the Lombardi Neighborhood Association meeting Wednesday evening.
Packers Director of Public Affairs Aaron Popkey revealed the NFL is envisioning entrance gates to the draft campus to be on the west end of the campus — away from the draft stage, which will be on or near Oneida Street.
“So, for those who are coming from the east, they will have to go into the campus more toward the west, wherever those gates are,” Popkey told FOX 11 after the meeting.
We don’t anticipate they’ll be on the far west end, but we know they’re going to be away from the eastern part of the campus where the draft theatre is going to be for the reasons they (NFL) stated in terms of better ingress and egress and not crowding a particular spot of focus, which is often the theatre itself. The NFL is envisioning entrance gates to the draft campus to be on the west end of the campus — away from the draft stage, which will be on or near Oneida Street.
Popkey says the number of gates has not been determined.
After the meeting, Popkey also told FOX 11 the back of the draft stage, also known as the draft theatre, will be near the Resch Expo and Resch Center. That means Commissioner Roger Goodell will be facing Lambeau Field as he announces draft picks, with the crowd in the northeast part of Lambeau Field’s parking lot.
“If you’re familiar with Lambeau Field, that northeast corner is our biggest footprint out there to hold the largest crowd, so they want to bring people in away from that,” said Popkey.
Lombardi Neighborhood residents came away from the meeting impressed with the information shared, providing a round of applause to draft organizers for their efforts.
“I thought tonight’s information was very thorough and I know there’s more information to come and more meetings to come,” said Char Dunlap, a Green Bay resident. “I plan on attending as much as I can.”
Residents of the Lombardi Neighborhood Association peppered Popkey and representatives from Green Bay Police and Discover Green Bay with a variety of questions about draft preps.
“The neighborhood is looking forward to this, but we also, like with Packers games, have problems sometimes after the games with people who are going to bars and coming to their cars, but we’re looking forward to it,” said James McGrath Sr. of Green Bay.
Both draft organizers and residents say they intend to stay engaged with one another as the area’s biggest event ever gets closer.
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