Packers make new Lambeau lease extension offer
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024, 5:25 p.m.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The Packers presented a new offer for a Lambeau Field lease extension shortly after Green Bay city alders addressed the contentious issue during a press conference on city deck Wednesday afternoon.
Highlights of the new offer according to the Packers would include:
The Packers will invest $1.5 billion into Lambeau Field.
Taxpayers will have no obligation in that investment.
The extended lease includes the current rent escalator, as the City requested, and extends 30 years. All other terms of the current lease will remain the same, as it has worked well since its inception in 2001.
Rent payments and whether they should increase each year or stay at current levels had been a major point of contention between the sides throughout the negotiation process.
“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,” said a Packers team spokesperson in a statement. “If this extension as proposed is unacceptable, the Packers will not engage in further discussions.”
Local 5 News reached out to several city officials to get their reaction to the Packers new offer.
Green Bay common council president Brian Johnson told Local 5 News that “any new offer will be reviewed by the Mayor and our outside counsel. I would expect a new offer to materially address all the matters that have previously been negotiated by both parties. Any offer that undermines those mutual discussions will be difficult to advance.
“The Packers were pleased to see the Common Council express having the interest of taxpayers in mind as they discussed the extension of the Lambeau Field lease, as the taxpayers are precisely whom the Packers have considered through their proposals that, unlike virtually all other recent stadium deals, did not request taxpayer funding,” said a Packers spokesperson in a statement. “Much of what they said about negotiations was mischaracterized, but that is because they were not involved in the negotiations and, unfortunately, have been misinformed.
Prior to the Packers announcing the new offer, all 12 Green Bay alders attended a press conference to explain why they supported the mayor’s position that the team’s previous offers weren’t in the city’s taxpayers best interests.
The press conference was at city deck near the ‘I Love Green Bay’ sculpture. Johnson, alder Jennifer Grant, and alder Bill Galvin all spoke.
“When was the last time you’ve ever seen the city council be unanimous about anything,” said Johnson. “”The mayor has been unjustly accused of being an obstructionist by the Packers.”
The Green Bay City Council has pushed back against previous lease extension offers from the Green Bay Packers regarding Lambeau Field, taking a firm stance during a press conference on Wednesday.
The ongoing dispute involves the terms of a long-term lease extension, which would enable $1.5 billion in stadium renovations and upgrades over the next 20 to 30 years, all without taxpayer funding.
The current lease is set to expire in 2032, but it includes optional extensions for up to an additional decade. However, the council contends that the Packers’ proposed lease is “materially worse for the city than the existing lease,” with Green Bay Common Council President Brian Johnson stating that it would result in significantly lower payments to the city, potentially costing Green Bay $30 million over the lease period.
“It’s not in the best interest of city taxpayers to accept a lease offer from the Packers that pays us less than what both parties have previously agreed to,” Johnson emphasized, reflecting the council’s stance on protecting public finances.
The Packers have been critical of the negotiations, accusing Mayor Eric Genrich of avoiding lease talks since 2020. In a statement released on October 16, they claimed to have submitted three written proposals, all of which went unanswered, with Genrich allegedly stepping away from discussions earlier this year while demanding increased rent payments, despite the city not planning to contribute financially to future stadium upgrades.
Aaron Popkey, director of public affairs for the Packers, defended the team’s offer, describing it as a favorable arrangement that addresses Lambeau Field’s needs without tapping into taxpayer funds. “The Packers presented a plan that is the best approach any city could want, a plan that does not request any public tax money to cover the needs for Lambeau Field into the foreseeable future,” Popkey said. He pointed out that other cities have relied heavily on taxpayer subsidies for their stadiums.
The stalled negotiations have already led to the cancellation of an $80 million concourse upgrade, with the Packers warning that continued delays could escalate costs, possibly forcing the city to consider taxpayer contributions for future projects.
In response, the City Council voiced support for Mayor Genrich, countering the accusations from the Packers. “The mayor has been unjustly accused of being an obstructionist,” Johnson stated, adding that many of the issues mentioned by the team were beyond Genrich’s control. The council emphasized that the mayor had kept members informed and acted in good faith.
The council reiterated its openness to further discussions but called on the Packers to submit a revised proposal that better serves the city’s interests. “We value the Packers and recognize their economic impact on the community,” Johnson concluded. “We look forward to moving past this, but in the meantime, we invite the Packers to submit a new offer that’s worthy of consideration.”
The disagreement over the lease terms has put Lambeau Field’s future renovations on hold, with the Packers cautioning that ongoing delays could jeopardize the feasibility of their self-funded approach.
Local 5’s Paul Steeno will provide further updates on this story during the 10:00 p.m. broadcast.
Green Bay City Council speaks on stadium lease negotiations
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024, 4:15 p.m.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) — The Green Bay City Council is holding a press conference to discuss the ongoing stadium lease negotiations involving the city, the Green Bay Packers, and the Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District.
Local 5 News is livestreaming the event and will be conducting interviews with council members afterward to provide additional insights into the discussions.
Green Bay City Council to hold press conference on stadium lease negotiations
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024, 3:45 p.m.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) — The Green Bay City Council will hold a press conference to discuss the ongoing stadium lease negotiations involving the city, the Green Bay Packers, and the Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District.
The council aims to address recent concerns raised against Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich by the Packers, clarify the city’s position as the entity responsible for fiduciary duties to taxpayers, and respond to statements made by the Packers to the stadium district and the public.
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Mayor Genrich will not participate in the press conference, which will be led entirely by the City Council.
Scheduled for 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, the press conference will feature finance committee chair Jennifer Grant, Green Bay Common Council president Brian Johnson, and vice president Bill Galvin.
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