NEWS

Walmart drops effort to build downtown Green Bay store

Doug Schneider
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
  • Walmart official%3A %22Some city officials created roadblocks at every turn%22
  • Walmart resisted pleas from the city to either downsize its store proposal or find another location
  • Mayor Jim Schmitt said the city has received an offer from a second company interested in the site

Walmart is ending its efforts to place a store on a downtown Green Bay site, saying in a statement that Mayor Jim Schmitt and other officials chose "continued speculation" over the benefits the retailer could have provided.

"Our proposal further called for investing nearly $2 million in remediation at the site that must be completed before any development can begin," Walmart said in a statement from Regional General Manager Mitch Cox. "Instead, the mayor and certain aldermen decided to pass on these benefits for the Green Bay community and, without a concrete plan, gamble on the continued speculation of what might someday come down the road."

The Green Bay City Council voted July 16 to deny the retail giant's rezoning request for a 154,000-square-foot store in the Broadway shopping district. The action by a 6-5 margin followed nearly a year of passionate debate between Walmart supporters and opponents over the future of a prime downtown development site.

Schmitt, reached late Wednesday night, said the city already has received an offer from a second company interested in developing the site. He said he hopes to be able to reveal details in the coming days, but said the company is "local talent" that sent the city a 20-page proposal Tuesday and met with city officials Wednesday.

"It's something that looks like it could work for the city, and work for the developer," he said. "I just knew that there would be something better for the neighborhood."

Schmitt and city planners opposed the Walmart plan, arguing that the 15-acre Larsen Green site should be redeveloped as housing, smaller commercial outlets and a cultural or entertainment attraction. The property sits alongside the Broadway district's locally owned boutiques and specialty shops.

Walmart resisted pleas from the city to either downsize its store proposal or find another location.

Property owner On Broadway Inc. could soon lose control of the site to the city under a loan agreement dating back to 2007. That would make the city responsible for repaying the $3 million loan, while empowering city planners to pursue alternative development ideas.

Excerpts from Walmart's statement:

"City Council recently voted against Walmart's request to rezone the Larsen Green property, which would have allowed us to better serve our downtown customers and bring economic vitality to an area that has been dormant and in need of redevelopment for nearly two decades ...

"Downtown Green Bay residents want more options for affordable groceries and general merchandise closer to home. We want to thank all of those throughout the community who supported our proposed redevelopment plan ...

"We have worked closely, in an open and transparent manner, with community stakeholders to develop a plan for Larsen Green that would suit the needs of our customers and business in a way that reflects the City's overall vision for downtown development.

"Despite the significant revisions we made to ensure our proposal fit the character of the Broadway district – based on extensive feedback from the community – some city officials created roadblocks at every turn. The level of political and administrative resistance we faced within city government should be chilling to any business looking to move into or expand in Green Bay.

"Our proposal represented the first plausible and concrete development plan for the Larsen Green brownfield to be put forward in the past 20 years (and) would have brought 300 jobs downtown, created construction jobs, drawn additional shoppers to local area businesses, boosted tax revenue and provided residents with a much-needed new option for fresh, affordable groceries and other goods.

"Our hope is that the city's leaders and administrators will be able to bring something that will meet the needs of the community ...

"We remain committed to serving our customers throughout the Green Bay area and will continue to look for opportunities to serve them better."

— dschneid@greenbaypressgazette.com and follow him on Twitter @PGDougSchneider