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‘It’s time for the building to have a fresh look’
March 23, 2026
GREEN BAY – The City of Green Bay is moving forward with plans to replace Fire Station No. 3 on the city’s west side after securing $5 million in federal funding to help cover roughly a quarter of the estimated $20 million project.
City officials said the upgraded station will enhance emergency response capabilities, support local businesses and improve community safety.
Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich said the city is finalizing value-engineering for the project, with construction expected to begin in late summer or early fall of 2026.
Working together to help secure the funding for the project, Sen. Tammy Baldwin said she and Rep. Tony Wied “don’t always agree on everything,” but this project was easy to get behind.
“This is an example of what happens when we put the people we serve ahead of politics,” she said. “Our firefighters aren’t thinking about a political party when they are heading into harm’s way, and backing our firefighters should never be a partisan issue either.”
With his grandfather having worked for the City of Green Bay and both parents raised there, Wied said the project was a “no-brainer.”
“I can’t think of a better use of our taxpayer dollars than to ensure our first responders in Green Bay have the very best tools at their disposal to keep our families safe,” he said. “This $5 million investment will replace the now-closed Fire Station No. 1 and the outdated Station No. 3 with a modern facility that will better serve the city for years to come.”
Genrich said the $5 million in federal funding is a significant boost for the community, noting that such allocations haven’t always been easy to secure.
The funding process, he said, required careful coordination and advocacy, and he praised the efforts that helped bring the resources to the city.
Baldwin said the $5 million in federal funding was secured through a careful appropriation process, allowing the city to move forward with the fire station project.
“This was an easy project to get behind,” she said. “We couldn’t function as a Senate if we didn’t work across the party aisle.”
Echoing Baldwin’s comments, Wied said securing tangible benefits for communities in Northeast Wisconsin is a key part of his work.
“Infrastructure work in our communities is very important,” he said. “We’re focused on projects like this.”
An aging fire station
Following the decommissioning of Station No. 1, Genrich said the fire department’s administration has relocated to City Hall.
“We’re all looking forward to combining those operations and having a 21st-century facility that does right by the men and women of the Green Bay Metro Fire Department,” he said.
With Station No. 3 approaching 90 years in service, Interim Co-chief Eric Jeltema said the new facility will address health and safety concerns associated with the aging building.
“It’s a major investment in the health and safety, because it has dedicated decontamination areas to keep toxic gear separate from the living spaces,” he said. “Also, some fire engines have been customized to fit inside the existing station. Station No. 3 has a lot of character, but it’s outdated for the type of work we do.”
Jeltema said the $5 million will help the city and the fire department build a state-of-the-art facility.
“If we hadn’t received the federal money, and we would have had to redesign things for budget purposes, that would have pushed the timeline back,” he said. “The new station will help with less wait time and more efficiency.”
Not only will a new fire station help with safety and efficiency, Genrich said it will “definitely help” with recruitment and retention, as well.
“There are certainly some firefighters who appreciate the historic nature of this building, but at the same time, it’s not a modern facility anymore,” he said, “especially when you’re talking about bunking space, shower facilities, the kitchen and other things.”
Beyond improving safety, Genrich said the new station will give the fire department the capacity and resources to serve a growing population and support local businesses.
Stronger emergency services from the new station, he said, will help safeguard commercial areas, encouraging continued business development in the city.
As Station No. 3 approaches decommissioning, Genrich said the city is still deciding on the next steps for the building’s future.
“We would really like to preserve it – it’s such a historic and beautiful building,” he said. “It’s not fit for fire service any longer, but we think it has another life. When the time comes, we’d expect to put out an RFP (request for proposal) and get some proposals from the development community about what people might think would be possible here.”
Mixed-use development also planned
Genrich said the new fire station will be part of a mixed-use development on a five-acre lot on South Broadway, which will also include administrative offices and approximately 85 affordable, multi-family housing units.
“The 85 units will basically be located right by the fire station – just to the north but on the same parcel,” he said. “These projects have been moving in parallel since the inception – recognizing the need for fire services and a new fire station, but it’s also within a tax increment district (TID). We’re trying to create as much value as we can for that tax district and tax value in general.”
Genrich said the inclusion of 85 affordable housing units alongside the new fire station reflects the city’s high demand for housing.
“It made sense to us to maximize that bit of land to both create the fire department and the housing units,” he said. “The parcel is right across from the Shipyard area, just north of the Mason Street Bridge.”
