Coal piles along the Fox River in Green Bay, April 11, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — If you have grand plans to “Ski Green Bay,” you better act fast, because a bevy of state and local leaders ceremoniously and officially signed the moving papers for the city’s downtown coal piles.
Signing the legendary picture during a news conference Tuesday came after the much more important signing of a 60-year-lease agreement between Brown County and C. Reiss Company.
“It’s a once in a generation opportunity that’s going to provide economic benefit for generations to come,” said Dean Haen, Port of Green Bay Director.
C. Reiss Company, the owner of the coal piles, will move salt piles from its Fox River Terminal at the mouth of the Fox River to the nearby new port at the former Pulliam Power Plant site. That will allow C. Reiss to move the coal piles to its Fox River Terminal, which is about two miles north of where the coal piles have sat on prime downtown riverfront property for more than 100 years.
The idea to move the coal piles was supposedly first floated in the 1950s. 70-some years later, the path is the $55 million new port, which includes about $41 million from the state.
“It’s going to take time,” said Gov. Tony Evers, D-Wisconsin. “People are going to have to be realistic, but the good news is we’re moving the coal and downtown Green Bay will look a little bit better.”
Construction on the new port is already underway. There isn’t a firm timeline for when it will be ready, but the hope is it will be some time in 2029 at the very latest.
“C. Reiss will make the determination when they feel the site is prepared and ready for them,” said Troy Streckenbach, Brown County Executive.
“We’ll be bringing more into Mason Street for the next couple years and when we can we’ll start to deplete those piles and bring them over to FRT,” said Keith Hasselhoff, C. Reiss CEO.
C. Reiss and local leaders are already throwing around ideas for what could be built where the coal piles currently sit. 10 of the 35 acres are earmarked for mixed-use development, with the rest for light industrial use.
“You’ll have to have some sort of commerce or some restaurants or housing on that northern 10 acres,” said Hasselhoff. “We still have time, so we’ll figure that out as it comes. We’ll evaluate all options that are out there.”
County officials say there are about 10 acres of land available at the new port for another operator. C. Reiss will occupy the northern half of the site.
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