Plan to move Green Bay coal piles in jeopardy after county vote

A plan to move coal piles out of downtown Green Bay is in jeopardy following a vote by the Brown County Board of Supervisors Wednesday night.

Coal has been near downtown Green Bay since coal yards began operating along the Fox River in the 1880s. The 35-acre parcel south of Mason Street that’s home to the coal piles, owned by the C. Reiss Co., is viewed by the city as prime riverfront real estate for development.

Brown County owns a decommissioned power plant at the mouth of the river. County administration had negotiated a lease agreement with C. Reiss to move the coal piles to the power plant site. It was part of a joint effort between the city and the county to move the coal piles and redevelop the power plant to serve the Port of Green Bay.

On Wednesday, the County Board voted 22-2 to approve a revised lease agreement with C. Reiss Co. after two hours of discussion behind closed doors.

The initial lease presented to the board included $110,000 annual payments to the county with a 2.5 percent increase each year. It also ran for 25 years with options that would extend it to a total of 75 years.

The lease approved Wednesday would run for 30 years with a 10 year extension, require C. Reiss and the city to reach an agreement by June to redevelop the Mason Street property, madate the company provide air and water reports to the county and change annual rent increases to 2.5 percent or the consumer price index, whichever is greater.

Prior to the board’s vote, C. Reiss Co. CEO Keith Haselhoff spoke about the agreement at Tuesday’s Green Bay City Council meeting. He said the company “compromised a lot” in negotiations with county administration.

“If the lease terms we negotiated are not approved, C. Reiss will continue to profitably operate from its Mason Street location,” Haselhoff said Tuesday. “To the extent there are last minute changes to terms of this deal before the board vote tomorrow, we would consider that a rejection of the agreement we have negotiated in good faith.”

In a statement after the county board vote, Haselhoff said supervisors “rejected” the terms agreed to in negotiations and said the company offered “several different options” to the county over the last year.

Haselhoff did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Brown County Board chair Patrick Buckley said the board felt that it did not make drastic changes to the lease and feels it’s fair to C. Reiss. He said the board’s biggest concern was the initial length of the lease.

“A lot can happen in 40 years,” he said. “They may need more space. They may not need as much space, or they may just want a couple more options at that time.”

Buckley said he hopes that C. Reiss will still move forward with moving the coal piles to the power plant site. Even though the administration negotiated the lease, he said the county board gets the final say.

“I’m hoping C. Reiss takes a look at it and realizes that the changes are minor changes and are good for the taxpayers of Brown County,” he said. “This is a good deal for C. Reiss that the taxpayers are offering.”

Keeping the coal piles in their current location could also risk losing out on $25 million in state and federal grant money. Grant applications included moving the coal storage to the power plant site as part of receiving the funds, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

It wouldn’t be the first time a plan to move the coal piles was derailed. Green Bay Alder Chris Wery on Tuesday said he’s seen efforts to move the pile start and stop several times since he was first elected in 2002.

“It’s something people talk about and they’ve grown so used to being disappointed that they just think it’ll never get done, but it’s more than just moving the coal piles,” he said. “It’s about expanding our port and redeveloping downtown.”

The city estimates that removing the coal piles and redeveloping the 35-acre property on Mason Street would increase the property’s taxable value by $100 million and provide additional taxable development options for neighboring properties.

On Tuesday, the city council approved a resolution signaling their support for the agreement between C. Reiss and the county to move the coal piles.

Before passing the resolution, alders called on their constituents to show county supervisors there is support for finalizing the deal.

“I think people have to look beyond their little areas that they’re in control of, look at the big picture and think what is this going to mean for us 50 years down the road,” said Alder Bill Galvin. “What does it mean for our children and our children’s children? I have already called my Brown County rep and I plan on calling a few others.”