The Green Bay Packers are broadening the scope of Titletown, a new mixed-use development that will serve historic Lambeau Field. Earlier this month, the Packers unveiled plans to increase the number of townhomes around Titletown, an entertainment complex that will include a hotel, brewpub, and a sports medicine center.
While the initial scope of the townhouse development is fairly ambitious, the Packers believe that it could attract even more interest. More from the Wisconsin State Journal:
The Packers recently announced plans to develop the Titletown District on 34 acres around the stadium, including 30 to 50 townhouses overlooking a public plaza. Strong interest in the development could mean expanding it to as many as 70 townhouses, said Packers vice president and general counsel Ed Policy.
The Packers’ plan includes Lodge Kohler, a four-star hotel and spa, Hinterland Brewery and a Bellin Health sports medicine clinic west of Lambeau Field. Policy said there has also been a lot of interest in 180,000 square feet of commercial space on the north side of the district.
“We have talked to a lot of prospective tenants. The reaction … has been tremendous,” Policy said.
To bolster Titletown as a potential residential district, the Packers want to add a grocery store to the mix. As the Green Bay Press Gazette noted recently, the Packers hold purchase options on 14 duplexes across from the originally planned townhomes.
With its plaza concept, Titletown is part of a growing trend in designs for not only stadium renovations and redevelopments, but also for completely new facilities. A 61,000-square-foot plaza will serve Mercedes Benz Stadium—the new home of the Atlanta Falcons, which is slated to open in 2017—and, as we covered recently, the renovated Kyle Field at Texas A&M features a series of multipurpose promenades. Titletown also bears a resemblance to Patriot Place, a retail and entertainment complex that is adjacent to Gillette Stadium. Integrating plazas into facilities is an advantage for designers and operators, as promenades not only give the stadiums unique spaces, but can serve as year-round gathering places and give the venues a stronger connection to their communities.
Titletown is an example of a development that takes broad measures to meet that objective. In addition to acting as a gathering place for fans on game days and for off-day events, it is also aiming to act as a magnet for new residents and tourists who seek year-round destinations in Green Bay.
Within the 34 acres slated for Titletown is a 10 acre park that will be open for pregame festivities, and will serve as a public space throughout the year. The area will be populated with mixed-use development from three different partners. According to the Packers’ August announcement, Kohler Co. will open the Lodge Kohler, a four-diamond hotel that will feature outdoor entertainment venues, pool and spa services, and a panoramic bar and restaurant area.
Bellin Health’s contribution to the project is a sports medicine facility that will be staffed by a team of doctors that includes Packers’ physician Dr. Patrick McKenzie. Offering services in a variety of areas, including rehabilitation, performance, and injury prevention, the 30,000 square foot center will treat members of the Packers as well as patients from Green Bay and the surrounding areas.
The third major component of the project is a new Hinterland brewery with multiple levels of dining and pub space. The first-floor brewery—which is expected to produce 20,000 bottles a year—will be open year-round for tours, while the event spaces within the building will have retractable walls to accommodate indoor and outdoor festivities. The brewery will be moving from downtown Green Bay, as the company’s success is launching an expansion.
Those three entities are partnering with the Packers on the project, which is currently slated to cost between $120 and $130 million. The Packers have said that they will invest about $65 million for initial costs.
If all goes according to plan, Titletown will be complete by the fall of 2017, with the Hinterland brewery opening in the spring of that year. It will continue the Packers’ push to modernize Lambeau Field and the surrounding area: the team completed a major renovation before the 2003 season, expanded the south end zone in 2013, and overhauled the atrium entrance to incin time for this season.