Brown County Expo Center Breaks Ground

Brown County broke ground today on its new expo center, a collaborative project between Populous, local architect Kahler Slater and Miron Construction. Brown County’s new expo center will connect Lambeau Field and the Resch Center arena into a unified entertainment district for the Village of Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.  The three venues combined will form the core of a two-mile entertainment corridor connecting the Packers’ Titletown development on the west with the Village of Ashwaubenon sports and entertainment district, and the City of Green Bay’s Legends District to the east.

Construction on the Brown County Expo Center begins on the site of 61-year-old Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, which was recently demolished to build the new 260,000 square foot facility. The existing Veteran’s Memorial will be preserved and enhanced with improvements to the surrounding public plaza. The Expo will be directly connected to the Resch Center, with the two venues sharing foodservice, storage, docks, security and other back of house functions to maximize operational efficiencies.  The main entrance faces Armed Forces Drive and a second entrance faces Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers.

“One of the most unique features of the building is its sweeping views of the Armed Forces Plaza and the legendary Lambeau Field,” said Populous Principal-in-Charge Todd Gralla. “Mezzanine level meeting rooms and terraces overlooking the plaza and Lambeau Field, as well as large glass doors along one end of the expo hall allow events to flow outdoors, promoting connectivity between events and the public and adding to the sense of belonging we’re trying to evoke within the community.”

Planned to open in 2021, this new state-of-art exposition center will feature a main floor for rentable event space and a second floor with meeting spaces, situated above the glass lobby. The abundance of glass windows on the exterior will add life and transparency, further connecting the inside visitors to the plaza and outside entertainment district. A sweeping roofline creates three distinct elevations, forming a tall, grand entrance at the front of the building and tapering off to meet with the roofline of the residential neighborhood in the back.

Built with the community in mind, the design process included several public input meetings as it is imperative that the Brown County Expo Center serves as a forward-thinking symbol of economic vitality for Ashwaubenon and the surrounding Wisconsin communities.

“This $93 million project is going to wow people,” County Executive Troy Streckenbach said. “It’s going to complement the development, and it’s going to do exactly what we’re trying to do, attract business expos from the region.”

The expo center’s spirit of innovation and creativity will attract today’s largest events, including festivals, boat and RV shows, concerts, agriculture equipment shows and concerts. Designed to instill a sense of pride in the local community, the center signifies the strength in looking to the future while honoring the past. By embracing and improving plaza conditions around the existing veteran’s memorial, the sacrifice and presence of this distinguished culture will be better honored by future generations.

Brown County Expo Center is the latest expo center designed by Populous. With projects ranging from Williamson County Expo Center to the Anaheim Convention Center, we’re able to design the places where people love to be together at any scale. To learn more about our work with convention and exhibition centers, visit our website or contact Kimberly Sanden.