GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Driving on Military Ave., you may have seen a construction lot and a small development underway. Here's what you can soon expect for that.
- Video shows a construction lot in the Green Bay Plaza on the city's west side.
- The site used to be the location of Sears, which was demolished in 2022.
- One of the five available spaces will feature a Starbucks.
- The Starbucks location at the corner of Military Ave. and W. Mason St. will move to the bigger space once construction is complete.
- Fast food restaurants, financial institutions could fill the remaining spots.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Video shows work underway at the Green Bay Plaza — indoors.
"I'm thrilled," Leah Weycker, Military Ave. Business District executive director, said.
Two words she's using as Winter Market preparation continues, but also for what's brewing on the other side of the plaza, which was the former site of Sears.
"It's really exciting to see how fast the old Sears lots are getting grabbed up and developed," Weycker said.
The Sears closed in 2018 and was demolished in 2022.
Since then a Club Car Wash was built on a portion of the land in 2023.
Now, a construction site for water storage and other utilities is preparing to add more businesses to the area.
"It'll be ready to build sites for five different locations, one being built already," Weycker said.
NBC26 was able to confirm that first development in progress will be a new location for Starbucks.
Weycker said the existing location at the corner of Military Ave. and W. Mason St. will shut down and move to the bigger space.
She said filling the other four spots has been competitive.
"I'm hearing from the city that people are coming with plans already, so the first thing is to get a plan together and then submit it to the city to see if it's going to work," Weycker said. "You don't want to spend a whole lot of money if it's not going to work for that site."
Milwaukee-based company Newmark is the developer.
Managing director Brian Vanevenhoven says fast food restaurants and financial institutions have expressed interest for the remaining spaces.
Weycker said a goal for the district is to direct more traffic to the area to help existing businesses and attract new ones.
"We don't have a lot of vacancies left because it is a great startup area," Weycker said. "I'm excited to see what businesses will show up on the new Sears site."
Weycker said Military Ave. features many breakfast options, but hopes a late night restaurant could fill one of the four spaces.
