GREEN BAY, Wis. — For more than 50 years, nearly 40 acres of coal have been stockpiled along the shores of Green Bay. Now, local politicians are asking the state to help move the coal piles.
The stock piles of coal in Green Bay have been an eye sore for over half of a century, but if a proposal is put into the state's budget in the next couple of weeks, that could change.
On Friday, city, county and state leaders have laid out a plan on how to move the C. Reiss Company piles of coal to a site located near the mouth of the Fox River. Local politicians say by moving the coal, they could revitalize a valuable piece of property in downtown Green Bay, generating as much as 100 million to 110 million dollars of economic development.
"For over 50 years, the city of Green Bay has looked to try and find a way forward to get that property back into economic development opportunities,” says Rep. David Steffen, (R) Green Bay. “So, this money is the first step to reclaiming over a quarter mile of riverfront right in our downtown."
The money that Representative Steffen was referring to was a request from the state budget for $1.5 million. Steffen says that money would be used to conduct a survey to make sure that the properties soil is safe to build on. If it is, in a matter of about 10 years, we could see something completely different in that area that would bring more money to the community in Green Bay.
