The City of Green Bay has stopped Lambeau Field lease negotiations with the Green Bay Packers, a team representative said.
- Lambeau Field lease negotiations between the City of Green Bay and the Green Bay Packers have stalled, after the City called off negotiations, according to the Packers.
- This led the Packers to stop an $80 million dollar improvement project at Lambeau Field, a Packers representative said.
- Watch the video to hear from both sides on Lambeau Field rent payments and future development in Green Bay.
(The following is a transcript of the broadcast story.)
The Packers say $80 million worth of work at Lambeau Field has been stopped, after the City [of Green Bay] called off lease negotiations with the team...
The Green Bay Packers say the City of Green Bay has stopped negotiations on a lease extension for Lambeau Field.
"The Packers and the City have been discussing extending the lease to Lambeau Field for some time and have had good discussions, good exchange of ideas," [said Aaron Popkey, the Packers director of public affairs].
Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich said on X, formerly Twitter, in part:
"My administration and I will continue to work with the Packers on a number of different initiatives, including the 2025 NFL draft, and we stand ready to re-engage on the subject of lease negotiations as soon as the City's core priorities are legitimately acknowledged in the team's offer...
"Their preferred terms would reduce the rent they owe to the City of Green Bay, and it's not a good deal for our taxpayers."
Green Bay Alderman Chris Wery's district includes Lambeau Field.
"What do you think the City wants to see out of any any renegotiated or new lease?" [asked reporter Jon Erickson].
"Well, I know for sure we don't want the payments we're getting from the Packers to go down," [Alderman Chris Wery said].
[NBC 26 asked Popkey about future rent payments from the team to the City.]
"The Packers have spent, since the redevelopment, $600 million on improvements to the stadium," [Popkey said].
"We did not reduce the amount of rent that was paid, one idea that we had was freeze it at the current level and the projected increases that are built into the agreement, we would take that and reinvest it in the stadium," [Popkey said].
Something else Alderman Wery thinks thinks the City wants to see in a lease:
"We would like them, they do a great job of redevelopment. We've seen that in Ashwaubenon. We'd like them to help us redevelop the other side [of Lambeau Field closer to Ashland Avenue]," [Wery said].
[NBC 26 asked Popkey about future development.]
"The Packers absolutely would want to help development in Green Bay and are willing to invest, and we've expressed that to the City in our discussions. I think where we disagree, is the City is insisting, or has been insisting at least in recent discussions, that the Packers lead that development, and that's where we have a difference of opinion," [Aaron Popkey said].
We asked for an interview with Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, and did not hear back.
