Green Bay officials tout EPA-backed plan to revitalize riverfront brownfields

City of Green Bay agency officials described ongoing efforts to clean and redevelop brownfield sites along the Fox River, saying federal funds and EPA partnership have enabled major conversions of former industrial land into community assets. An agency official said the city has leveraged "millions in federal assessment grants, cleanup grants, and revolving loan funds" to underwrite assessments and remediation work.

Officials highlighted recent redevelopment wins, including the Veil Yard Innovation District, new attainable townhomes on 4th Street, and a multi-phase Shipyard Park project. They said those projects demonstrate that remediation can yield economic and social returns and open riverfront land for parks, housing, and municipal facilities. The presentation also announced a newly awarded $500,000 EPA assessment grant to help assess and prepare sites such as the former WPS property and the 44-acre Georgia Pacific paper mill parcel for future redevelopment.

Speakers and attribution in this briefing followed staff presentations and program descriptions rather than formal votes or motions. City staff emphasized the agency’s ongoing partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and credited Brownfields specialists, naming Rebecca Finco and staffer Matt Buchanan for their roles in securing federal support. The officials said remediation projects require layered funding and long time horizons but result in public benefits including new housing, a municipal fire station, and expanded greenway access.