Brown County proposes alternate site for coal piles

GREEN BAY, WI—(WGBW)— Brown County proposes a new site for the relocation of coal piles in Downtown Green Bay. Officials with Green Bay, C. Reiss, and Brown County have been discussing ways to move the coal piles from their current location since at least 2019. Along the way, funding has been secured, but something always seems to muck up the possibility of a deal.

Discussions have centered on relocating the piles from their current location on prime waterfront real estate in the downtown Green Bay to the former Pulliam Power Plant Site. Those discussions have stalled following rejections from Brown County.

This week, Brown County Board Chair Patrick Buckley announced a new alternate site for the coal pile relocation. This is the second alternate site the county has put forward.

2nd Alternate Site

“We’ve expended a lot of time and struggle putting forth a good faith effort to strike an equitable deal for all sides involved,” says Buckley. “After exhausting all options at the former Pulliam Plant site, and after apparent failed negotiations between the City of Green Bay and C. Reiss over Alternate Site 1, we are now putting Alternate Site 2 on the table for consideration.”

Brown County stated in a press release that Alternate Site 2 is connected to a site already owned by Robindale Energy, the parent company of C. Reiss and of Fox River Terminals, LLC. It sits directly across Bylsby Avenue from several other sites that Robindale currently owns at the Port. Alternate Site 2 enables C. Reiss to retain all of the roughly 35 acres it owns presently south of Mason Street for future development, while also adding 12.7 acres north of Interstate 43 to hold future coal piles.

“The Wisconsin Department of Administration has indicated it would like to see a deal acceptable to both C. Reiss and the County reached, or roughly $13 million in grant funding for Port development may soon be pulled. C. Reiss has since made unreasonable demands, knowing the County is in a poor bargaining position,” Buckley adds. “However, I remain hopeful that the benefits of selecting this new option will be apparent to all parties, as it will provide for both Port development and the removal of coal piles that have blighted our riverfront for over 100 years.”

Studies have shown that moving the coal piles from the waterfront property could generate $150 million in new development for the city and county. The coal piles have been on the waterfront for 125 years.