Across Brown County, economic development is taking shape through a mix of housing initiatives, infrastructure investment, business expansion and quality‑of‑life improvements. While each municipality approaches growth differently, county and local leaders emphasize alignment and collaboration are what make sustained progress possible.
Green Bay: Housing as an economic imperative
Workforce housing has become a defining focus of the city of Green Bay’s economic development strategy. Matt Buchanan, deputy development director, says the message from employers and developers has been consistent.
“You can’t have a strong workforce or economy without housing,” Buchanan says.
In response, Green Bay has expanded its housing tools, including creating seven new tax increment financing (TIF) districts over the past two years. Most are aimed at mixed-use developments with housing as a central feature. The city has also extended TIF districts by one year, a state-allowed mechanism that captures additional revenue for affordable housing, and introduced the Green Bay Housing Partnership’s Community Land Trust (CLT) initiative…