MARINETTE —The city and the county are discussing the future of the University of Wisconsin — Green Bay, Marinette Campus property this week.
The City of Marinette Common Council will vote on a resolution at 5:30 p.m. on Monday at city hall to discuss the city’s interest in the UWGB campus.
The end of the resolution, attached to the special meeting agenda, sums up the interest in the buildings.
“Therefore, be it resolved, by the Common Council of the City of Marinette, Wisconsin as follows:
The City of Marinette is interested in acquiring Runnoe Park and/or utility easements.
The City has specific interest in the Administrative Building and Library and that the $2,000,000.00 of state funding may be available for specific redevelopment of the Administrative Building and Library, which would be subject to negotiation with the County.”
The referenced grant comes from Senate Bill 518, which was passed this year to allow up to $2 million in funding for the redevelopment of the campus.
This meeting will take place less than 24 hours before a special meeting of the Marinette County Board at 9 a.m. on Tuesday to receive an update from county administration on the UWGB Marinette campus and to also take action on easement requests coming from the developers of the hospital property and the City of Marinette.
The city meeting will be held at city hall’s Common Council Chambers, 1905 Hall Ave., Marinette. The county board meeting will occur in the County Board Room No. 112 in the Marinette County Courthouse, 1926 Hall Ave., Marinette.
These meetings represent a significant step in shaping the initial conversations surrounding the future of the Marinette campus after UWGB announced it would no longer be holding in-person classes in the fall.
While the county board will not have an opportunity to take action on the UW property discussion on Tuesday, board decisions may be affected by what the city council discusses on Monday.
Mayor Steve Genisot said they gave the county a formal agreement regarding easements and construction and a clause about the county transferring Runnoe Park to the city.
“In the agreement, we asked them for Runnoe Park,” Genisot said. “That’s all the city has given permission for.”
Marinette City Council alderperson Rick Polzin echoed this statement in a letter submitted to the EagleHerald.
“The City Council has not made a decision on the UW property other than to request Runnoe Park,” Polzin said.
The easements mentioned in both meetings are for developing the former Bay Area Medical Center property, which Shore Drive Development LLC now owns.
“Without it, the project is dead in the water,” Genisot said.
Genisot cited the ongoing discussions on the properties with the Greater Marinette-Menominee YMCA and the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council as reasons for the conversations being far from over.
“There’s a lot of questions,” Genisot said. “We’re certainly open to discussion.”
County Administrator John Lefebvre has said the county needs to decide whether to give the property to the city. Genisot said the city would not pay for something it won’t use.
“If the city doesn’t move any operations to there, then why would we take on that cost and expense to the taxpayers of Marinette?” Genisot said. “Nowhere has the city said they would take the field house and entire campus.”
Through the process, Genisot said the city would have pursue due diligence.
“We’ve been looking for city hall for several years, maybe there is an option,” Genisot said.
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