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Landmarks Commission approves temporary three‑panel banners for Northern Building ahead of NFL draft
Summary
The Green Bay Landmarks Commission on March 19 approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for three temporary art panels to be suspended from the parapet of the Northern Building at 305 East Walnut Street; staff said the mounting design avoids permanent attachment to historic fabric.
On March 19, 2025, the Green Bay Landmarks Commission approved a Certificate of Appropriateness to allow three temporary art banner panels to be suspended from the rooftop parapet of the Northern Building at 305 East Walnut Street for the upcoming NFL draft.
The banners will be three separate panels with the center panel overlapping each side panel by about 10 inches. Commission staff described the mounting system as painted steel “saddles” that straddle the parapet and are padded with wood to protect the wall; steel cables run from the saddles to four anchors drilled into the sidewalk. Staff said there are four temporary cable guides about halfway down the façade that will not be mechanically attached to the building and that the sidewalk anchors are semi‑permanent but on non‑historic sidewalk sections. "LC staff recommends approval noting that nothing is permanently attached or permanently changing the building surfaces," the project presenter said.
Commission members raised two recurring concerns: potential damage from parapet saddles even if padded, and the precedent set by approving a very large non‑permanent attachment. One commissioner said the item is valuable as a precedent because it demonstrates a design that "absolutely no impact on the historic material," while another asked whether the commission actually retained influence over installations of this scale. Tim (Landmarks Commission member) moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness; a second was offered and the motion carried on a voice vote.
The design was presented to commission staff and the applicant as an alternative to drilling into historic fabric; staff told commissioners the current proposal was intentionally developed to avoid permanent mechanical attachments to the building. The commission did not specify conditions beyond the reviewed installation details; the motion passed by voice vote with no recorded roll‑call tally in the meeting record.
Installation is planned for the period surrounding the NFL draft; staff and the applicant will proceed with the temporary mounting scheme as described to the commission.
