De Pere · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in De Pere, WI public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
South Front Street right-of-way discontinuance
Part of Front Street would be vacated for the Lockside plaza, raising questions about fire apparatus access and traffic. Staff said the plaza will be redesigned to accommodate emergency vehicles and the vacation ends at the old bridge approach on George Street.
Workforce Housing Near Humana
Two WHEDA applications — a 42-unit senior housing project near Chicago Street and cottage-style workforce housing on North Ashland — advanced with comp plan amendments, though neighbors raised concerns about density and property values.
Annexation of Rockland Parcels
A 29-acre petition by Big Valley Farms would annex land including the home of an objecting disabled veteran, raising questions about the state's one-half approval annexation process, tenant signatures, and future utility assessment costs.
CLG subgrant for 405 S Wisconsin St
The commission wants to designate up to six local properties on state/federal historic registries, but funding was unavailable until July 2027, making the process competitive. Three property owners got letters of interest in August and none has responded, so outreach may need a second try.
Downtown housing growth goal
Rezoning to RM-2 clears the way for an 82-84 unit apartment building near Southbridge Road.
2535 Lawrence Drive land acquisition
The Redevelopment Authority is moving to buy the GG Rebuilders property at 2535 Lawrence Drive, tied to a condemnation process, for up to $440,000. The Common Council still has to give final approval before the deal closes.
De Pere Parking Garage final payment
New parking rules for the rebuilt Williams Street and Wisconsin Avenue area — three-hour parking, a hotel loading zone, and restrictions in the Bungalows subdivision — plus a new stop sign at Preserve Court and Employers Boulevard.
Business park development agreement with NSN Real Estate
Two new development agreements — Jim Cornell Plumbing and Bliffert De Pere Holdings — advance business park growth and the local tax base.
Former Irwin School redevelopment
The vacant Irwin School building has sat empty since around 2014, and every attempt to save it has failed. A new developer wants to demolish it and build three more townhome buildings, bringing the site to 24 units — but that requires about $2.75 million in assistance, more than the TID can fully cover.
Element Properties expansion at 2081 Profit Place
Element Properties gets a $55,000 cash grant to complete an expansion that rising construction costs had threatened, adding roughly $450,000 in assessed value to the South Bridge Business Park area.
Mobius after-school childcare facility TIF grant
The city will give MTR Brothers $90,000 to support converting the former Destiny Church at 411 Destiny Drive into the Mobius after-school and childcare program — addressing a real childcare need, including summer programming. The property, previously tax-exempt, will now generate about $30,000 a year in taxes.
Trellis Drive subdivision in Ledgeview
The council approved an extraterritorial preliminary plat for a 37-lot residential subdivision at 4546 Trellis Drive in the Ledgeview area, adding future housing options in the greater De Pere growth area.
Trellis Drive subdivision (37 lots in Ledgeview)
The council approved an extraterritorial preliminary plat for a 37-lot residential subdivision at 4546 Trellis Drive in the Ledgeview area, adding future housing options in the greater De Pere growth area.
Multifamily housing at 2108 Lawrence Drive
Rezoning to RM-2 clears the way for an 82-84 unit apartment building near Southbridge Road.
Lockside riverfront redevelopment (100 S. Broadway block)
New Land Enterprises proposes ~200 apartments, condos and townhomes plus ~12,000 sq ft of retail on the vacant riverfront block, with a public plaza, public art, George Street extension and partial Front Street vacation. The Council approved the deal terms using TID 18 financing; the full agreement returns in June. Residents weighed in on height, traffic, parking and emergency access.
Rock Ridge Estates subdivision plat
A 44-lot subdivision in the Town of Lawrence — mostly single-family homes plus four duplex lots and a stormwater outlot — is now approved and moving toward construction.
Future Street at Lost Dauphin Road (Area Development Plan)
A future street was added to the official map near the 2100 block of Lost Dauphin Road so the property keeps two access points once the southern bypass is built — protecting future development potential.
303 Reid Street redevelopment
A development agreement with TPAMMT, LLC for redeveloping 303 Reid Street was tabled at the developer's own request — the project isn't dead, just paused.
Jim Cornell Plumbing facility at 700 Millennium Court
Design requirements along the Southern Bridge Corridor drove up costs, so the plumbing company is asking for a land grant worth $72,250 on 1.5 acres. No new city borrowing is involved, and future growth would help pay off existing TID 10 debt.
Business park berm buffering west-side homes
The American Boulevard land split protects an eight-foot berm between the future business park and homes to the west, but the code doesn't require trees on it — a resident asked for plantings, and that decision now rests with the Council under the developers agreement.
Riverfront Development Approval
De Pere’s Common Council has approved a $70 million development along the Fox River, setting up major changes for the riverfront. The source doesn’t detail what’s being built, who’s paying for what, or how the city will manage impacts—so the big takeaway is that a large, high-dollar project is now moving forward.
Downtown parking lease with William Street Investment Partners
An MOU with William Street Investment Partners LLC sets up a parking lease agreement downtown.
Farewell to Alderperson Dan Carpenter
After ten years on the council and a long prior career as a city employee, Dan Carpenter is leaving the District 4 seat. Colleagues credit him with shaping the Shapco downtown development and the South Bridge Connector.
City purchase of Main Avenue property (WD-387-1)
The city closed on the old Baba Louise parking lot for $110,000 and confirmed it's being paid from TID 9 tax-increment funds — money tied to that district rather than the general budget.