Business View Civil Municipal - July 2023

31 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 ASHWAUBENON, WISCONSIN Located in Brown County, Ashwaubenon is part of the greater Green Bay metropolitan area, as Gregozeski revealed. “I would say that Ashwaubenon has a long and storied history,” he said, citing its settlement by nomadic Amerindian tribes long millennia ago, as reflected in the very name of the village itself, which is of Menominee origin. As well, there was a Menominee chief named Ashwaubomay, and he in fact may have been the village’s namesake. And with a population greater than 17,000, Ashwaubenon is actually technically a city, as defined by the United States Census Bureau. Having fewer than 5,000 residents means your community is a town; greater than that, and it’s a city. But retaining the antiquated designation of “village” is a thing countless such American communities still do, and it certainly is a charming notion. And it’s good for tourism and the local economy. The village of Ashwaubenon is ideally situated for commercial success, as Gregozeski noted, due to its proximity to Green Bay and the two major highways––I-41 and State Highway-172––that bisect it, dividing it into quadrants. This has allowed Ashwaubenon to enjoy the fruits of mixed-development facilities, such as a prominent industrial park, a thriving retail district and a solid residential base. Plus, the renowned Green Bay Packers football team has a huge economic benefit for Ashwaubenon, with several of the sports organization’s arms doing active business within the community. This, as Gregozeski acknowledged, is a huge feather in the village’s collective cap. “We certainly work in a great partnership with the Packers’ organization,” he observed, adding that the football team helps indirectly sponsor nationally known pop performers for concerts in Ashwaubenon. And Gregozeski noted that the Packers’ outdoor practice fields and indoor facility, the Don Hutson Center, are in Ashwaubenon. There’s also the Resch Center, a multi-purpose arena built in Ashwaubenon back in 2002. And according to Baseball Digest, the Green Bay Rockers baseball team plays home games at Capital Credit Union Park in Ashwaubenon, and right down the road (or train-tracks) is the National Railroad Museum. Ashwaubomay Park (spelt just like the chief’s name) features Ashwaubomay Lake, a manmade lake complete with a diving platform. And the park also hosts such sports as baseball and soccer. Plus, serving the Green Bay metropolitan areas is shopping mall Bay Park Square. And the Titletown District, the area on the west side of Green Bay’s famous Lambeau Field, includes many restaurants, open space and a regulation-size football field. Schuette praised Ashwaubenon’s walkability–– always a positive factor and the defining characteristic of all the best villages. He cited a picturesque walking trail along the scenic Fox River, a tributary of Green Bay (the arm of Lake Michigan, as distinct from the city of the same name).