The new 'Market on Military' building will be a dedicated space for Military Avenue's farmers markets and will double as an indoor pickleball court for public use. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Military Avenue Business District’s plan to build a year-round farmers’ market facility is one step closer to getting a big boost in funding.
On Tuesday, the Green Bay Redevelopment Authority gave preliminary approval to provide $500,000 to fund the project’s parking lot, using tax money generated from nearby development.
“Market on Military” would be built at Murphy Park.
For nearly a decade, summer and winter farmers’ markets have been hosted on Military Avenue, with the event moving around to vacant spaces wherever there’s an opening. But as the markets became more popular, the Military Avenue Business District said they ran out of spaces big enough to handle so many vendors and shoppers.
Now, officials are fundraising for a new building that designed specifically as the permanent home of Military Avenue’s weekly farmers’ markets. Military Avenue Inc. and the business district offices would occupy the space, but on days when the business district isn’t hosting events, the building would be utilized for other things, like neighborhood association meetings, pickleball games and dance classes.
Once it’s built, the facility would be donated to the city of Green Bay, which will then own it.
“The city is also contributing maintenance for the building going forward, so once it is constructed, we would donate it back to the city and then we have a contract to use it for up to 30 years,” said Leah Weycker, executive director of the Military Avenue Business District.
Officials still need to raise $4.5 million to make the project a reality. An anonymous donor has already provided $700,000.
The building would take six months to build. The hope is to raise the money for construction to be done by late next year.
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