Posted on November 7, 2022
With the announcement last week of a $10.1 million federal grant, the Port of Green Bay has now secured a majority of the funding to transform the former Pulliam Power Plant property into a state-of-the-art port facility, which clears the way for other developments upriver including the eventual elimination of coal piles south of the Mason Street Bridge.
“This is great news for the Port and our regional economy,” said Port Director Dean Haen. “This new port facility at the mouth of the Fox River will generate jobs and economic activity that will be transformational for Green Bay and Northeast Wisconsin.”
The plan for construction of a new port facility at the former Pulliam Power Plant at the mouth of the Fox River includes making space at the new site for the coal piles that are currently housed on the west side of the Fox River, just south of the Mason Street Bridge. Once the piles are gone, the 35-acres of reclaimed riverfront is scheduled for mixed use redevelopment.
The grant came from the USDOT, Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program.
Brown County previously secured a $15 million Neighborhood Investment Fund grant and a $1.1 million Wisconsin Department of Transportation Harbor Assistance Program grant for the project.
The county also allocated $1.3 million in 2022 ARPA funds and $2.6 million in 2023 ARPA funds towards the project.
“We are very grateful for all of the support in favor of this federal grant,” Haen added. “This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for port operations.”
Following acquisition of the property, an engineering firm began working to design the 40-acre port facility, including new dock walls, dredging, filling the old slip, a rail spur and stormwater management features and more to allow for movement of bulk cargo.
“For Northeast Wisconsin to be economically viable into the future we need to be continuously leveraging strategic assets to assure our competitiveness to bring in bulk commodities that support many industries and employ thousands of people,” said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach. “Once again, Brown County competitively secured $10 million by being united in our overall support of our Port of Green Bay.”
Construction is underway at the Shipyard Park just north of the Mason Street Bridge. A barge and cranes install rip rap along the wharf Oct. 29 for phase 1, where the marina will be, while excavation and landscaping for phase 2, which includes a great lawn and and dog park, takes shape.
Haen said that the design phase of the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year with construction beginning in 2023 and project completion in 2025.
GLC Minerals has already committed to buying 9.7 acres of the parcel to expand its operations.
The new facility will also become home to the coal piles currently located along 35 acres of riverfront south of the Mason Street Bridge, opening up that area, now part of the Shipyard District, for redevelopment.
“The infusion of these federal dollars makes possible a transformational reinvention of 35 acres of our City’s downtown riverfront while strengthening the Port of Green Bay as an important economic engine of the region,” Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich said.
Among the grant supporters were U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Rep. Michael Gallagher, Gov. Tony Evers, WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson, State Senators Robert Cowles and Andre Jacque, State Representatives Elijah Behnke, Joel Kitchens, Kristina Shelton, David Steffen and Jim Steineke, as well as the New North, Greater Green Bay Chamber, other regional and national port and economic development agencies as well as a number of existing port terminal operators.
