GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A Bay Beach project that has been stretched over several years, now has a new plan. Green Bay officials say the city had to change course because construction bids came in too high.
A paved shoreline trail could be coming to Bay Beach. It would be paid for by a $2.4 million Environmental Protection Agency grant.
“Currently when you go out to Bay Beach, there’s a large portion of that shoreline that is not accessible to the general public unless you ride the train,” said Green Bay Park Director, Dan Ditscheit.
A 400-foot wildlife viewing platform was supposed to be a part of the project. Construction bids for the platform came in higher than expected.
“The bid for that wildlife viewing platform came in at over $5 million. We don’t have, especially if this grant doesn’t go towards that, we don’t have anything near that available right now,” said Ditscheit.
“It’s disappointing, but sometimes you have to shift gears when you’re dealing with a certain amount of money and when it comes in so much more than what was originally thought,” said District 11 Alderperson, Melinda Eck.
According to Ditscheit, the EPA and the city looked at three options:
- Dedicating all of the money toward the viewing platform
- Asking the EPA for more money
- Reimagining what the grant funding was for
“The decision that the EPA made was they wanted their full $2.4 million to go towards the shoreline walk, which is still a good thing. That’s not a bad thing,” said Ditscheit.
The amended grant proposes expanding the 950 linear foot shoreline trail by nearly four times to 3,700 linear feet. It would stretch from the amusement park’s main pavilion all the way to the access point of Renard Island.
Ditscheit says the plan is to build the original 950 feet so it’s possible to add a beach in the future.
He said, “What we have to build is a small limestone retaining wall along that entire stretch. And then the trail will be below that retaining wall so that we can fill sand on the other side.”
If approved by city council next week, construction could start as early as next year.
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