De Pere approves South Broadway agreement for 173-unit redevelopment

The De Pere Common Council approved a development agreement July 7, 2026, advancing a revised mixed-use redevelopment planned for the west side of the 100 block of South Broadway. The agreement moves the project forward, but construction is not yet authorized because additional approvals, including Plan Commission review, remain.

New Land Enterprises is the development partner for the roughly $70 million proposal. The revised plan includes 173 residential units, down from the 198 units previously proposed. The housing would consist of traditional one- and two-bedroom units rather than the smaller junior one-bedroom apartments included in the earlier version.

Housing, retail and parking

The project calls for 11,100 square feet of retail space and 255 on-site parking spaces. City staff said the parking supply would exceed projected demand and applicable city zoning requirements. Staff projected that the development could support three to four retail or restaurant businesses and add between 245 and 290 long-term downtown residents.

Those figures are projections, not completed results. The development agreement advances the proposal, but it does not establish that the housing, businesses or projected tax-base growth have been delivered.

Planned public-access improvements

Planned public-facing work includes a George Street extension, reconstruction of the George Street parking lot and restriping of the parking lot south of the Main Avenue bridge. The improvements are intended to affect public access and parking around the South Broadway and waterfront area.

The meeting readout also describes a planned publicly accessible pedestrian plaza and public art near the Fox River Trail. It says public access to the plaza and related amenities would be protected through a permanent easement. These commitments remain part of a project that still requires additional review and approvals.

What happens next

The council’s approval is an important step, but it is approval of the development agreement—not final permission to build. Plan Commission action and other required city approvals must occur before construction can begin.

For De Pere residents, the next practical questions are whether the revised design receives those approvals, how the public parking and access changes are finalized, and whether the projected housing and retail components move from agreement to construction. If approved and built, the project could add housing and downtown activity near South Broadway, but its timing and final form remain dependent on the remaining review process.

Sources

• NBC 26 report on the July 7 council action
• GatherGov readout of De Pere’s development-agreement action
• City of De Pere council meetings and public records