Green Bay chancery demolition in 2010 motivates proactive building preservation

Demolition of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay chancery in 2010

Members of the City Council Protection & Welfare Committee recently agreed to send the proposal back to city staff for potential changes, including possibly adding an appeal process for property owners whose buildings are ruled historic.

Nearly half of the buildings in Green Bay are 50 years old or older.

Historic preservation advocates have been pushing for greater protection of historic structures in recent years, especially after the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay in 2010 knocked down a nearly 100-year-old chancery in Allouez despite community pleas to save it.

Green Bay issues about 50 demolition permits annually — or about one every week.Members of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, who have faced resistance to designating more buildings as local landmarks, say they have been disappointed to see valuable structures bulldozed, often without advanced notice.

Whole article at GBPG