The Green Bay Bullfrogs (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) and city officials are looking to complete funding for a proposed downtown ballpark.
Last fall, the Green Bay City Council approved the term sheet for a proposed ballpark for the Bullfrogs. Located along the Fox River, the facility would be part of a mixed-use development known as The Shipyard.
One piece of the funding for the $9 million ballpark could be a contribution from the Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District Board. Funding from the board is generated by revenue streams such as a ticket tax, and officials view the potential $500,000 contribution as a key part of the funding model.
The board’s decision is likely to be issued in March. More from Fox 11:
Pat Webb, the stadium district board’s executive director, says the economic development fund currently has about $1.7 million.
“I really don’t see this as any different than helping the Meyer Theatre, the Neville Public Museum, building the scoreboards at the Resch Center,” said Webb. “We participated in all those projects.”
The owners of the Bullfrogs plan to contribute $1 million up front to the stadium project. The team would pay another $3.5 million through a 20-year lease with the city. That leaves the city with paying $5 million, the stadium district board agrees to the city’s request for $500,000.
The proposal for the ballpark to be occupied for as much as 180 days annually, meaning that it would host more than just baseball. Soccer matches being one of the possible events that could use the facility. The earliest the ballpark would open is 2018.
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