Council OKs riverfront plan Vetter Denk sees development expanding from residence, river contact By Ray Barrington News-Chronicle The Green Bay City Council gave a new plan for the downtown riverfront a unanimous nod Tuesday. The plan, by Vetter Denk architects and planners of Milwaukee, would revamp the east bank of the Fox River to feature waterfront areas for activities, create new buildings for work and residences, and gradually draw retail, business and residences to the rest of the downtown in what architect John Vetter called a "bootstrap" growth. It also has one controversial aspect - gutting Washington Commons to restore the city's old street grid. However, that discussion was put aside amid general praise for the plan. The approval puts the Vetter Denk plan into the city's comprehensive plan as the official downtown plan. It's up to Vetter Denk and other developers to - literally - build on the plan. Denk estimated that up to $17 million in city infrastructure spending would be required over the years of development, with money coming from TIF financing on what could be $80 million in total development. The plan would come in several phases, including the Riverfront Lofts condominium project Vetter Denk is currently selling south of the former Younkers building. The architects, including Chris Reed of Sossa, want to change the riverfront to make it more accessible, building several platforms and piers to allow people to interact with the water. The plan would also have streets going to the water instead of ending on Washington Street. Behind them, along with the Riverfront Lofts and the under-construction Nicolet Bank, a new mixed-use tower would be built at Washington and Walnut streets; developer Tom Juza would tear down the Younkers building for a new development, and a new residential building or hotel would be built between Younkers and Main Street. Across the river, they proposed wetlands in front of the Rivers Edge apartments, Veterans Parkway and the Neville Public Museum, creating a large block around the river. Council members liked the plan but still want more detail on the costs. Vetter Denk has worked on the plan on its own, not with city money, a fact that impressed Ald. Guy Zima. "These people have spent their own money - apparently they even sold their own ties," he joked about the open-collared Vetter and Reed. Many business owners in the downtown area spoke in favor of the plan, saying it was a large plan that would bring excitement to the area. Tom Meinz, executive vice president of WPS Resources, said the company's younger hires were looking for an area that would provide excitement. He cited one employee who went to Chicago on a regular basis. "We don't want to lose him," he said. Pat Quinn, who has developed several night spots along Washington Street, said he spoke for the business owners who had been in the area "when there wasn't a plan." He gently chided the council for slowing development. "Ninety percent of your effort is arguing about money," he said. "You have a chance to fix it." But one of the most-affected properties, while supporting the riverfront work, was taking a wait-and-see attitude about the rest. Tom Schumacher of Development Associates, owners of Washington Commons, said his company had already made a $4 million investment in downtown. He said the property was trying to make the transition from a dying retail mall to a mixed-use facility and was finding success with the addition of educational aspects and its food court. He joked at Vetter's comment that downtown malls were "grayfields" that could be turned into "goldfields" by reestablishing the grid. "It's good to hear us described as gray when we were being described as dead," he said. There were also comments from Zima and some members of the public that the designs shown by Vetter Denk were awfully modernistic, and that they preferred buildings that looked more historic. "We're trying to interpret Green Bay's values - hard work, simplicity - in a more modern language. We can't live 100 years ago," Vetter said. "Some of us would like to," Zima replied. Zima also expressed concern about whether people would want to live downtown because of the noise, citing complaints from apartment dwellers near the Washington Street taverns. Vetter responded that the new dwellings would be owned, not rented or leased, giving people pride of ownership. "Not everyone is cut out for urban living, but maybe 10 percent are. And in Green Bay, that's 10,000 people," he said.