GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Green Bay is scrapping its plan for a pier at Bay Beach Amusement Park. A new shoreline trail will instead give parkgoers their much-desired waterfront access.
A 10-foot-wide multi-use asphalt trail with decorative lighting and seating will expand public access to the bay. The trail could eventually run beyond the park's property line, according to Parks Director Dan Ditscheit.
"It's just a small section of the big picture," Ditscheit said.
The public's desire for better bay access has been a consistent theme for years. It was a frequent comment brought forth by community members when the City built the park's 2009 master plan.
A proposed 420-foot wildlife viewing pier would have met the public demand, but funding fell apart.
"Prices came in extremely high, much higher than our budget allowed for," explained Ditscheit.
A $2.4 million EPA grant that would gone toward the pier project will be used to construct the shoreline trail.
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Ditscheit said Bay Beach recently paid off its debt, and going forward, the City plans to pay for Bay Beach improvement projects out of its existing funds.
"There's just a lot of maintenance that goes along with this park, and we have to start investing in the infrastructure along with trying new things," stated Ditscheit. Repairs will take priority for now.
One infrastructure improvement underway at the park is the train track replacement behind the main pavilion, which Ditscheit said should be finished by next spring.
