Packers talk development during shareholders meeting

GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers' annual shareholders meeting was held Thursday at Lambeau Field.

Team President and CEO Mark Murphy and Jason Wied, Vice President of Administration, talked about planned stadium expansion and potential development near Lambeau Field.

Expansion to the stadium is in hopes to accommodate some of the 83,000 fans currently on the waiting list for season tickets.

The team showed sketches of a five-level planned expansion in the south end zone. The wall-like structure would include about 4,000 additional seats, as well as a feature that would be new to Lambeau.

"I think the concept of having some areas in the stadium where you have standing room only would be pretty attractive," said Murphy. "We don't have that now and I think it would be a nice benefit."

Wied says the goal is to attract 7-8 million visitors to the Lambeau area per year in the future. The stadium currently brings in 2-3 million per year.

Here is a list of planned future projects in the "Titletown Development District" between Highway 41 and Ashland Ave. surrounding the stadium.

- Sports complex: Football and baseball fields, hoping to attract local, regional and national youth sporting events. A partnership with the Green Bay Bullfrogs college summer league baseball team has been discussed.

- Health and wellness facility: A training and rehabilitation center with amenities similar to the players at Lambeau.

- Exhibition hall: 100,000 sq. foot facility for gameday activities, trade shows and more.

- Entertainment: Looking to bring concerts and other sporting events (i.e. hockey and college football) to Lambeau.

Murphy says the plans are in the preliminary phase and do not have a timeline or estimated cost. It is also unknown if the team would pay for the entire project or ask for the public's help.

"That's something we'll have to work through," said Murphy. "We're looking at a variety of different sources for that."

Murphy says he hopes the additions will help local revenue, which has flatten out in recent years.