New plans for vacant riverfront property

GREEN BAY - A long-time vacant piece of land along the Fox River in Green Bay could be home to a new apartment complex.

T. Wall Enterprises, based out of Middleton, is looking to develop on South Broadway, just north of the Mason Street Bridge.

"We've always been looking at Green Bay as an opportunity," explained T. Wall Enterprises president Terrence Wall. "We love Green Bay, the river; I think this is a terrific site. And the city approached me and asked if I'd be interested, we looked into it and said yes."

T. Wall Enterprises' plan calls for between 300 and 350 market-rate units.

Wall says there would be multiple buildings, which would be built in different phases.

However, the process is just getting started. The Green Bay Redevelopment Authority approved the planning option Tuesday.

That allows the developer to lock up the land for six months for planning and design.

"The district itself, in downtown in general, is really kind of in a housing shortage," said On Broadway, Inc. executive director Christopher Naumann.

Naumann says this type of housing couldn't come soon enough.

"I get several calls a week, very easily, by people re-locating here for work or they've come here for school or they just want an option to live downtown, thinking I have a lot of apartments to refer them to and I really don't and there are waiting lists at the places we're aware of," Naumann explained.

Green Bay's summer baseball team, the Bullfrogs, considered that same piece of land for a new stadium.

However, the organization's planning option expired a few months ago. And with this new plan in the works now, officials say it's back to the drawing board.

"There are a number of locations obviously that a facility like that would and could potentially bring a lot to the table, so if the downtown land ends up being removed as an option, we'll certainly see what other opportunities may come our way," explained Bullfrogs president Jeffrey Royle.

However, there are still a number of approvals needed before any shovels break ground on the apartment project.

If the project does get the go-ahead, the developer hopes to break ground as early as next summer.