Stadium Entertainment District seeks public input

GREEN BAY - A second public meeting to guide development in the Stadium Entertainment District will look at issues such as branding, transportation and the types of buildings to encourage.

The 90-acre area east of Lambeau Field is bounded by Ashland Avenue, Lombardi Avenue, Mike McCarthy Way and Holmgren Way.

The meeting will be 6-8 p.m. July 27 at Tundra Lodge Resort Waterpark & Conference Center. The first meeting was in June.

"This is a unique area. It's going through a transition. It's traditionally an industrial area. Now it's an entertainment district with a residential area to the north," said Quasan Shaw, a planner with Vierbicher Associates, community development consultants and city planners.

Shaw, who presided over a citizen steering committee meeting Tuesday at Badger State Brewing Co., said among goals of the planning process is to make Lombardi Avenue less of a barrier to the residential area. That said, tourism will be an important part of the district's success, he said.

Attendees at the first meeting were fairly split on whether the district should court new businesses and expansion of existing businesses. In either case, said several committee members, developers should be encouraged and city processes streamlined. Shaw said timing is often critical.

"We are not the only municipality looking at development around this area," he said. "If it takes too long to develop a project, it's just killed."

The planning process will include two more public input sessions, stakeholder meetings and extensive study of the district.

Contact rryman@greenbaypressgazette.com and follow him on Twitter @RichRymanPG, onInstagram at rrymanpgor on Facebook at Richard Ryman-Press-Gazette. Or call him at (920) 431-8342.