Green Bay city officials respond to Packers’ new offer in Lambeau lease negotiations

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Green Bay’s mayor and city council members issued a new statement Friday regarding Lambeau lease negotiations:

“We are pleased that the Packers have listened to some of the City’s concerns and are making significant commitments about the continuity of their tenure and their investment in Lambeau; It is a positive step. That being said, this issue is too critical to the City’s future to be discussed in the media, and we look forward to engaging in a good faith negotiation directly with the team.”

-Mayor Eric Genrich, Council President Brian Johnson and Council Vice President Bill Galvin

This latest statement comes after the Packers issued a new offer to the city regarding the negotiations, which have become publicly contentious.

The Green Bay Common Council hosted a press conference at City Deck in Green Bay on Wednesday, unanimously endorsing Mayor Eric Genrich after a public attack by the Packers last week.

Several members of the finance committee say there were verbal agreements in the negotiations that were not reflected in the final proposals made by the Packers.

The city welcomes the Packers to continue negotiations, saying they hope to reach an agreement with a fair compromise.

The current lease will expire in 2032 if the Packers do not agree to the 10-year extensions. Both sides are still searching for a new agreement.

The Packers released a response to the Common Council conference shortly after, saying:

“The Packers were pleased to see that the Common Council expressed that it had the interest of the taxpayers in mind while discussing the extension of the Lambeau Field lease, as the taxpayers are precisely who the Packers have considered through their proposals that, unlike virtually every other recent stage deal, did not solicit taxpayer funding.

“Much of what they said about the negotiations was misinterpreted, but that is because they were not involved in the negotiations and, unfortunately, have been misinformed.

“The Packers present a new offer, possibly the most taxpayer-friendly in all of sports, that says:

1) The Packers will invest $1.5 billion in Lambeau Field.

2) Taxpayers will have no obligation in that investment.

3) The extended lease includes the current rental scale, as requested by the City, and extends for 30 years. All other terms of the current lease will remain the same as it has operated well since its inception in 2001.

“This process has become unsustainable, as the Packers have already spent four years in discussions and have submitted three proposals without receiving a single counterproposal. If this proposed extension is unacceptable, the Packers will not engage in further discussions.”

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