The old Press Gazette building may be the new home for Green Bay Police

The old Press Gazette building may become the new Green Bay Police Station as city planner's are eyeing downtown change.

• A proposal aims to make the old Green Bay Press Gazette Building the new police station.
• Common council President, Brian Johnson says the department is in need of a new home.
• The current owners of the Gazette building will acquire three city owned properties with a plan to renovate them.

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)

Brian Johnson is the President of Green Bay's Common Council. He says the police department is in need of a new headquarters.

"Modern day police forcing has evolved and methods have changed,” Johnson said.”Our facilities need to reflect that as well."

He says GBPD is also just growing too big for their current home. A current proposal is for the city to buy the old Green Bay Press Gazette building and turn it into the new police station.

"It has the space that aligns with the profile that our police department needs,” said Johnson.

But the deal doesn't stop there: the city would pay $3.6 million for the old Gazette building and three nearby lots to the current owner. That owner will acquire three city owned properties, including two fire stations, with the intent to renovate all three properties.

"That's what the city wants to see, we don't want to hold land just for the sake of holding it,” says Johnson. “We want to see land developed and that's exactly what this developer has to do as part of the terms of the agreement."

Johnson says the developer has no set plan but he could see the properties becoming mixed-use or residential, due to demand.

"We think that with the city as a partner on some of these things, we can come up with real tangible solutions to some of our communities most pressing needs,” Johnson said.

The move would leave the city with options for the current police station, although Johnson says no decisions have been made on it yet.

"We're going to experience significant cost savings. We're going to repurpose an old historic building and preserve it for another generation,” said Johnson. “These are all very positive outcomes of a deal like this."

The proposal still has to be approved by the finance committee on Tuesday before being presented to the common council at their next meeting.