Green Bay offering city-owned lots below market to spur homebuilding

Green Bay is marketing city-owned vacant lots to local buyers and small developers as a way to spur home construction and return properties to the tax roll, city speakers said. The program focuses on parcels the city acquired through demolition or tax foreclosure and offers them at reduced prices to encourage owner-occupied development.

An agency official explained the lots were acquired "through demo, being a property that maybe, wasn't inhabitable" or via tax foreclosure and that the city acquired them "so that we could, create development, single family, sometimes sometimes multifamily." On pricing, the official said the parcels are "mostly priced, between the assessed value and the fair market value," characterizing the offerings as an affordable option for smaller builders and local buyers. The official added many lots are "closer to downtown," which the city said supports walkability and neighborhood revitalization.

The presentation emphasized the fiscal rationale: putting vacant land back into use restores the tax base. "Our goal is to put the the money back into the, to the tax roll so it benefits the taxpayers of the city of Green Bay," the agency official said. City staff said the redevelopment authority will work with prospective buyers to ensure new construction fits neighborhood character.

The city did not announce specific financing programs or subsidies during the remarks; staff instead directed interested parties to the city's online listings for parcel details. The presentation concluded with a call to visit the city's website to review available lots and begin the application process.