GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Halted construction at Green Bay West High School now back into play with an approved lease agreement.
- Video shows progress on Green Bay West High stadium renovation project and the cellphone tower that's getting in the way.
- Bleacher construction took a pause after the cell tower was found in the way of where the final third of the bleachers are supposed to be built.
- An approved lease renegotiation between the city and the cellphone tower company moves construction forward.
- A $155,000 revenue loss to the city is projected with new lease agreement
- City of Green Bay, Green Bay Area Public Schools (GBAPS) agree on financial procedure in covering expected revenue loss with new lease.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
On Tuesday, Green Bay city council approved a new lease agreement helping Green Bay West High School put the finishing touches on Del Marcelle stadium renovations.
The lease is between the city and Crown Castle, a cellphone tower company, that has a cell tower in the way of stadium bleacher construction.
"They had to widen the track and the football field to accommodate a soccer field," Dan Ditscheit, Green Bay Parks, Recreation and Forest director, said. "By doing that they had to push the bleachers out farther than they were originally."
Ditscheit said the tower and its ground equipment used to be behind the bleachers. He says city and school district officials asked the following:
Is there a way for us to move the cell tower and do it at a reasonable cost?
Relocating the towers and it's ground equipment, Ditscheit said, is a tall financial task.
"We'll find the path forward to make sure that we can expand these stands in the most financially responsible way possible," Brian Johnson, Green Bay city council president, said.
Ditscheit said after plenty of discussion, moving the ground equipment became the priority after evaluations showed moving the cell tower was not needed.
As a result, the final third of the bleachers will cover the relocated equipment, but would cost the city $155,000 in revenue loss.
The school district agreed to pay the city $100,000 (a lump sum amount) to cover the loss.
The city agreed to pay the other $55,000, which Ditscheit said is not something the city needs to come up with at this time.
City officials said it will not impact the city budget.
"In addition, the school district agreed to pay all of the construction costs in relocating that equipment," Ditscheit said.
The Green Bay West stadium renovation came from a 2022 referendum.
With the green light, city officials say the goal is to have the bleachers complete by either this fall or next spring.
