A waterfront built for people, not just a property line

In its 2019 budget, Green Bay described the Shipyard as a brownfield-redevelopment project with a public purpose: clean up a difficult waterfront site, reuse vacant structures, expand public access, and create room for recreation, markets, public space, and local retail.

That year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected the Green Bay Redevelopment Authority for a $500,000 Brownfields Cleanup Grant. EPA described the grant as part of a $1.2 million effort to cap soils with low levels of contamination and make the Shipyard property safe for reuse.

The City’s materials described the next phase as a mix of waterfront access, sports and recreation, public gathering space, and economic activity. That was the point of the work: to turn a former industrial site into a place with a practical public use as well as room for investment.

The Shipyard was not a finished redevelopment story in 2019. It was a documented decision to prepare the site for reuse and keep public access at the center of the plan.