Green Bay City Council approves purchase of former Press-Gazette building for $3.6M

GREEN BAY — The City Council agreed to buy the old Press-Gazette building in 19 seconds on Tuesday night.

Moving the police department into the pre-Depression-era structure — as the 12 City Council members intended with their unanimous $3.6 million purchase agreement — won't be so quick, but may still be as simple.

The decision does not yet make Green Bay the owner of the property, but it got the ball rolling for FGM Architects, an architectural firm based in Oak Brook, Illinois, to begin its analysis of the old Press-Gazette building on whether the current space can meet needs of the police department in the future.

The space needs analysis along with a study into the feasibility of the project, are about all that needs to be done, according to the Mayor's Office and Brian Johnson, the council member whose jurisdiction includes the property at 435 E. Walnut St.

Johnson said that an environmental impact of any redevelopment and any existing hazards on the site would be likely. After those assessments are complete, the city could begin a design process that fleshes out just how much it would cost to retrofit the building to be suitable for the police department's needs.

"It's all very early, yet," he said.

After that, the city will have a clearer picture of the entire project.

Editor's note: The firm conducting the analysis of the former Press-Gazette building has been corrected.

Jesse Lin is a reporter covering the community of Green Bay and its surroundings, as well as politics in northeast Wisconsin. Contact him at 920-431-8247 or [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: City Council approves purchase of former Press-Gazette building