As the Packers’ popularity has “soared, the neighborhood around Lambeau Field has evolved,” as companies and wealthy individuals have “scooped up homes in the shadows of the stadium and converted them into high-end playpens for fans who want to party a stone’s throw from their seats,” according to Ken Belson of the N.Y. TIMES. The Packers have “gotten into the act, too.” The franchise over the last few years has spent about $30M to “buy about 60 homes and businesses next to Lambeau Field.” The Packers are “completing a master plan for the more than 40 acres they have bought and are considering a mix of hotels, restaurants, entertainment sites, shops and residences.” Packers VP & General Counsel Ed Policy said that the franchise would “unveil its plans in several months.” He “declined to say how much the project would cost, but he emphasized that the team had sufficient resources and would not need public money.” Belson noted the Packers’ ambitions have “sent ripples through the neighborhood.” Some longtime residents “are aghast at the potential for even more commotion.” They “understand that the Packers need more money to remain competitive, but they are wary of too much growth.” But many other residents are “more sympathetic.” The Packers also have “enticed residents by paying well above market rates for homes and businesses” (N.Y. TIMES, 12/29).
