This 26-foot Balsam Fir will be prominently displayed in Green Bay’s Titletown District
While the city of Green Bay and the Packers continue the completion of the developing “Titletown District,” one Shawano business will provide a key piece to its development.
The business and residential district, that will also feature an ice-skating rink and sledding hill, will display a 26-foot Balsam Fir tree, courtesy of Hanauer Tree Farms in Shawano.
“At the center of the skating rink, they’re going to have a hill and they’re going to have a little forested area on there, and the centerpiece of the whole thing is going to be this tall tree that’s coming from our farm,” explained Dan Hanauer Jr., owner of Hanauer Tree Farms. “They’re going to be digging that on Monday, as it stands right now. A big spade truck is going to come in, dig this big tree, drive it over to the Titletown District, and plant it at the center of the ice skating rink.”
The emerging Titletown District will feature 34 acres of land next to Lambeau Field, which has the goal of maximizing its lure to spur economic growth, while offering new, unique amenities.
The tree farm secured the honor when they were approached by a landscaper, who is contracted for the Titletown District. After a careful evaluation and ongoing discussions about the tree, they were awarded the contract. The tree is planned to be a focal point of the sledding hill and skate rink, something the Hanauer family knows will be featured for a long time.
“To us, it’s a relatively permanent fixture,” Hanauer said. “A tree like this, we’ve been growing it for probably 30 years, close to a lifetime project. I think the nice thing is when you move a living tree, it’ll be there for years and years, and a lot of people are going to have a lot of fun in that area and on that skating rink, so we’re pretty excited about it.”
Hanauer Tree Farms was established 51 years ago by Dan Jr.’s parents, Dan Sr. and Veronica Hanauer. Their tree farm is well known in Christmas Tree circles, as they wholesale throughout the country and in Canada.
The tree is scheduled to be moved on Monday morning to its new home in the Titletown district, weather permitting. Artist renditions of the rink and other elements of the district can be found on the Packers website.