The former Georgia Pacific mill site at 500 Day Street in Green Bay on April 15, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — There’s a buyer lined up for the former Georgia Pacific mill on the eastern edge of the Fox River in downtown Green Bay.
However, it remains unclear what the future use of the Day Street property will be.
Green Bay-based real estate developer McDonald Companies has a 120-day option to purchase the property and says it wants to be a community partner as it looks to bring new life to the 48-acre site.
“We absolutely think there’s an opportunity to work in collaboration, as you’ve expressed other partners have in the past, and we hope to in the future,” said Chip McDonald, president of McDonald Companies.
Earlier this year, Green Bay’s economic development staff recommended rezoning the mill site from industrial to downtown use. However, Georgia Pacific pleaded with the city council to wait as it was in the process of negotiating with interested buyers.
Now, Georgia Pacific and McDonald Companies are asking the council to delay that decision again as they work on a plan for the property.
“We think there’s a lot of opportunity to use what’s there in a productive means,” said McDonald.
McDonald didn’t elaborate on his vision for the property, but City Council President Brian Johnson told the council he met with McDonald for several hours about what could be coming.
“I think he’s got the community’s best interests at heart,” said Johnson. “He’s got some great ideas for that site, but more importantly he shares the same vision with wanting to protect that East River entry way into our community.”
Alderperson Jim Hutchison says he’s hopeful communication will continue, or else he says he’ll vote to rezone.
“Here we have a chance on the river, not only the Fox River, but the East River, to make a change from industrial to something different and it would be a shame if we lose that through non communication or whatever,” said Hutchison.
The council agreed to push the rezoning vote to July to give city staff time to work with McDonald Companies and Georgia Pacific on a plan going forward.
Georgia Pacific closed the mill in 2023 after operating for 122 years.
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