Waterfront Redevelopment Authority Officially Dissolved

Stone Harbor Resort, shown here at the annual Fire & Ice Gala, is one of the most prominent projects to come out of the Waterfront Redevelopment Authority. Photo by Rachel Lukas.

Sturgeon Bay’s Waterfront Redevelopment Authority (WRA), which was formed in 1990 to oversee the redevelopment of the city’s waterfront, is no more.

The Common Council approved a resolution March 5 to dissolve the WRA, which had recommended that action in December.

All properties owned by the WRA had to be transferred to the city and all of the WRA’s remaining interests in development contracts had to be likewise assigned to the city before the dissolution could take place.

All of the WRA’s obligations have either been retired or transferred to the city. The final contract under WRA’s jurisdiction that was reassigned to the city this year is for the restaurant on the west side by the Michigan Street Bridge, where Sonny’s Pizzeria is now located.

The council previously voted in September of 2022 to have the city take over the responsibilities contained in development contracts for three projects that were under the WRA’s jurisdiction –  the Stone Harbor Resort, Bridgeport Resort and Harbor Club Marina.