GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The community-based organization behind maintaining and promoting Green Bay's Broadway District has announced a large-scale redevelopment project worth millions of dollars.
On Broadway, Inc. announced a two-part $30 million redevelopment project Wednesday at Old Fort Square: Phase one will transform the building into a Public Market with a food focus, costing between $10 and $12 million. Part two of the project will develop the Broadway Market Apartments, a 90-unit comoplex behind Old Fort Square with a parking lot. This. phase will cost about $21 million.
"Green Bay is all about creating interesting spaces and places, and a Public Market is absolutely something that'll be attractive," said Eric Genrich, Green Bay mayor.
Brian Johnson, executive director of On Broadway, said the project is expected to attract more than one million visitors to downtown Green Bay annually. He said that's a scaled estimate from the two million visitors Milwaukee's Public Market sees every year.
"When people come to the Broadway District, we are extending the amount of time that they spend here and of course the amount of money that they spend here as well," Johnson said. "It's our hope and anticipation that this will become one of the top destinations here in the city of Green Bay."
Johnson was part of a team that visited two dozen public markets across the world, including in Barcelona and Seattle, to inspire Green Bay's future market.
Reducing store front vacancies in the area is one of the project's goals. Johnson said national data shows people who shop at a public markets spends twice the amount than someone shopping at a mall. He said the Public Market can help boost sales for neighboring businesses as well.
“That’s going to be really significant for the businesses in our district," Johnson said.
Tommy and Jyll Everman, owners of Gather on Broadway, plan to expand their business with a spot in the Public Market.
"It's just exciting to be part of the footprint on Broadway," said Jyll Everman. "We're big dreamers. We are continuously asking ourselves, 'what is Green Bay missing? What are we not seeing around here?' So now to be able to have a platform to be able to put those ideas that we've dreamt about for years and have a place for them, it's overwhelmingly exciting."
One Barrel Brewing Co., Voyageurs Bakehouse and West Coast Seafood and Chowder will join Gather in the Public Market.
Johnson said they're applying for multiple grants at city, county and state levels, as well as launching a capital campaign to fund the project. Potential private funding is also an option.
On Broadway hopes to break ground on the project in fall 2022 and see completion by summer 2023.
Edit: The following photos aired during NBC 26 News at 5 p.m. are courtesy of GRAEF:
