GREEN BAY, WI – (WGBW) – The Green Bay Packers and the City of Green Bay have been going back and forth in the negotiations on extending the lease of Lambeau Field. Last night, just hours after the Green Bay City Council stood united in supporting Mayor Eric Genrich’s stance on extending the lease, the Packers made another offer.
Yesterday afternoon, on the CityDeck Court, right in front of the I Heart GB sign, all 12 City Council members showed their support for the city’s stance in the negotiations.
Council President Brian Johnson said the lease, as originally offered, would end up costing the city over $30 million due to a flat rent over the course of those 20 to 30 years.
“It’s not in the best interest of the city taxpayers to accept a lease offer from the Packers that pays us less than what both parties have previously agreed to,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the sticking points for the city on the lease negotiations are these:
After the Council made its statement, the Packers offered to extend the lease for Lambeau Field for 20 to 30 years. In doing so, they will make $1.5 billion in maintenance and improvements to the stadium. There will be no obligation to the taxpayers for that investment, and the extended lease would include the current rent escalator, which will allow the rent to increase by 2.75% each year of the lease.
The Packers said in a statement, “This process has become untenable, as the Packers have already invested four years in discussions and submitted three proposals without receiving a single counter-proposal. If this extension as proposed is unacceptable, the Packers will not engage in further discussions.”
There was no mention of a community benefits statement or an investment in economic development for the city in the statement. Those are two items the city wants to see in the lease.
“A lot of these are things that the Packers are already doing in our community. We acknowledge. We know that. And we’re so appreciative of those investments; however, we want a least to capture that,” Johnson said.
The current lease for Lambeau Field expires in 2032 with an extension option through 2042.
The next steps will be for the City of Green Bay’s lawyers, negotiators, and Mayor Eric Genrick to evaluate the lease offer.
