GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The fundraising group for Bay Beach Amusement Park is donating $1.5 million to help pay off debt, which is expected to free up future park revenue for other park projects.
The Friends of Bay Beach is making the donation with the caveat the city council will not take on any other debt for the park for the duration of their terms, which end in April 2028.
“The Friends would have liked to carry that agreement for five years or 10 years, but according to the city’s attorney, as a council board you can only commit to that through the term of your existing terms,” said Green Bay Parks Director Dan Ditscheit to the parks committee last week.
The debt being paid off is from a $5 million loan the city council approved in 2018, which was meant to go toward bringing a sand beach to the park, a wildlife viewing platform, a walking path, and other shoreline improvements. That project has seen little progress with city officials citing increased costs and a lack of fundraising money.
The city still owes $3.7 million on the loan, according to Ditscheit. He says $2.2 million from Bay Beach’s development fund will pay for the remainder of the loan.
Ditscheit says he anticipates $750,000 will be available next budget to go toward improvement projects at the park. The agreement with the Friends of Bay Beach says that money should be spent on either stormwater management, shoreline improvements, new tracks for the small train, or renovations to the pavilion and park storage.
The city council has already agreed to spend $118,354 to purchase the materials for the new train tracks. The train hasn’t been operational this season. However, a new train ride on the park’s west end debuted at the beginning of this season.
“In order for us to sustain and keep the rides operational, we can’t really sustain with having a tremendous amount of debt that we have to pay off year after year after year,” said Ditscheit.
A $2.4 million federal grant was awarded to build a 425-foot viewing platform and shoreline walk as part of the shoreline improvement efforts. However, construction bids came in higher than expected at $5 million and $5.2 million.
City officials have said they are still working through options on how they will proceed with the platform and shoreline walk.
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