GREEN BAY (NBC26) — It's now up to the Green Bay Packers to decide the new home for the Packers Heritage Trail Plaza.
- RDA approved a contract with Miron Construction for the removal of the Packers Heritage Trail Plaza.
- The city will pay $109,701 in relocation costs
- The Packers now has full say in its new home. The city expects a decision on a new location to be made within weeks.
- A plan for a six story, 71-unit apartment building in downtown Green Bay was also approved by the RDA.
- An additional housing development was approved and expects immediate development at the downtown US Bank building.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"The next steps are finding the best location for the Packers Heritage Trail monuments," Jeff Mirkes, Downtown Green Bay Inc. executive director, said.
On Thursday, the city's Redevelopment Authority (RDA) approved a plan to pay $109,701 to Miron Construction to move the historic plaza, which was first brought to downtown Green Bay more than a decade ago.
It's placed on land owned by the RDA.
"Our view (of the plaza) was to highlight many of the historic properties of the downtown area," Mirkes said.
Mirkes is part of the RDA. He says a decision on the plaza's new location could be made within weeks.
That's because the new apartment high rise filling the parking lot behind it plans to begin work by the end of the year.
Developers say there's no room to have both.
"We knew that was one of the costs that we were going to have to bear and we are totally comfortable moving forward with that," Green Bay mayor, Eric Genrich, said.
In October, Packers Heritage Trail, Inc. sued the city over plans to move the plaza, but a settlement was reached and the city agreed to pay for removal.
Now, it's up to the Packers to choose a new location.
"We just really hope that they're going to take into account the founding purpose of the trail and the input of downtown Green Bay when making some of those decisions," Mayor Genrich said.
Aside from the plaza, two new downtown developments were approved by the RDA.
One being a six-story building with 71 apartment units that would create an estimated $9.5 million in property value.
Located at the corner of Cherry St. and Adams St., work is expected to begin in January.
The other project takes place at the US Bank building on Pine St.
It's a seven story building with commercial spaces on the first two floors.
The plan is to fill the five floors above with market-rate apartment units. Developers say they expect work to begin immediately.
With the RDA's approval, both downtown projects will now seek city council approval.
The council's next meeting is on Nov. 12.
