GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Years of planning to expand the Port of Green Bay reached another milestone Tuesday.
Brown County leaders and the C. Reiss Company officially signed an agreement to move forward with the next phase of the long-planned redevelopment project, which includes relocating the downtown coal piles from the Mason Street riverfront to the nearby Fox River Terminal. As part of the project, C. Reiss' salt operations will move to the former Pulliam Power Plant site, creating space for the coal operations at the terminal.
During Tuesday's signing ceremony, officials signed a copy of the well-known historic photograph showing a skier descending the downtown coal piles, a nod to a landmark that has been part of Green Bay's skyline for decades.
Once the relocation is complete, coal deliveries to the downtown site will come to an end. Brown County officials say the existing coal piles will gradually be depleted before environmental cleanup begins, allowing the riverfront property to be prepared for future redevelopment.
State Sen. Eric Wimberger, who has supported the project in Madison, called Tuesday's agreement an important milestone for the port expansion. According to his office, he secured $20 million for the project in the 2023-25 state budget. His office also said negotiations last year helped preserve an additional $15 million state grant after local officials reached an agreement before an extended deadline.
The Port of Green Bay expansion has been years in the making and has involved Brown County, the City of Green Bay, C. Reiss and state officials. Tuesday's signing marks the official start of the relocation effort.
