*UPDATE as of 8:00 p.m. Monday*
At Monday's City Plan Commission meeting, the Green Bay Planning Committee voted unanimously to approve a request to develop the property with conditions.
The plans to develop this land will now go in front of the full Green Bay Common Council at its next meeting next Tuesday, January 21st.
The prime real estate on the corner of Lombardi Avenue and Ridge Road — once known as Vainisi Plaza and now dubbed Lombardi Time Square — could finally be more than a parking lot, if Green Bay city leaders like a new plan to develop it.
- The plan is being discussed at Monday's City Plan Commission meeting, and likely again at the Tuesday, January 21 Common Council meeting.
- It calls for a five-story building (up to 75 feet tall) with office and retail space on the corner of Lombardi and Ridge, and a four-story building on the corner of Ridge and Thorndale Street with office space and 24 apartments.
- The plan also indicates it would include 119 outdoor parking stalls and 64 underground parking stalls in total.
- The developer is Tim Keuhn of Keuhn Ridge Holdings, who also owns nearby Margarita's Restaurant — Keuhn could not be reached for comment on Monday.
- The video shows the perspective of a Green Bay city planner who says the city is excited about the project, and a neighborhood association president who is against the current version of the plan.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"This is arguably one of the most desirable pieces of real estate, with Lambeau Field in the background," City of Green Bay principal planner David Burks said.
"That is a world-class corner for Wisconsin," Lombardi Neighborhood Association president Corey Behnke said.
A developer wants to add a five-story building to this 'world-class corner' — and the neighborhood association here has some issues with the idea.
"You drive to Lambeau and you're in this residential neighborhood, and then Lambeau pops up," Behnke said, "and [it's] this beautiful, surreal experience that's like nowhere else in the country."
In this long-vacant lot, across from the Packers historic stadium, a developer wants to add two buildings — one for retail and office space along Lombardi Avenue, and the other for offices and apartments along Thorndale Street and Ridge Road.
Lifelong Packers fan Corey Behnke is the president of the Lombardi Neighborhood Association.
He also runs LiveX, a production studio in downtown Green Bay.
Behnke says some people are worried about losing their view.
"Do you really need a 70-foot building across the street from Lambeau Field?" he said.
And he says others on this block don't want cars going in and out on their street.
"Having curb cuts on Frank [Street], you're going to have commercial activity," Behnke said. "You're not creating a buffer."
The proposal would include a full-access curb cut on Ridge Road, two curb cuts on Thorndale Street, and one on Frank Street.
The full list of concerns from the neighborhood association can be found here.
But after plans to develop the lot fell apart eight years ago when the developer backed out, the City of Green Bay is getting behind this new version of the project.
"There's nothing worse than a three-acre parcel of land at that location that's used for parking, maybe eight times a year — maybe 10 if we're lucky," Burks said. "So, to see it activated with high-quality development, high-quality uses is exciting for us, so we're very happy."
The city's Plan Commission discussed the plans Monday night, and the plans to develop the lot will go in front of the full Green Bay Common Council at its next meeting next Tuesday, January 21.
"To be fair, most people I talk to are excited to have something commercial there — a coffee shop or, you know, it's a live, work, play environment," Behkne said, "especially with Titletown in Ashwaubenon. So I think it's important — I just think it's important to get it right."
