A multimillion-dollar overhaul of the athletic facilities across the street from Sturgeon Bay High School is nowhere near the end zone, but it is at least close to a first down.

Earlier this month, the Sturgeon Bay School Board followed the lead of the Sturgeon Bay Common Council and approved the master plan for an approximately $14.7 million project to improve the football, baseball, softball, soccer, track and other athletic facilities along Michigan Street.

The public-private partnership will also see pickleball courts, a fitness circuit, multiuse trails, pavilions and more added to the property, which includes parcels owned by the city and the school district.

City Administrator Josh Van Lieshout says it is a once-in-a-lifetime project for an area where some facilities have not seen significant improvements in decades.

Rather than relying on a capital referendum or operating funds from the Sturgeon Bay School District, Van Lieshout says a combination of Tax Increment District revenues, grants and private donations will support the project.

Although the progress may seem slow to some, Van Lieshout says it is moving in the right direction.

With both parties agreeing to the master plan, Van Lieshout says the city and school district will work together to formalize an intergovernmental agreement.

Last fall, Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward said that if engineering work begins in 2026, construction could start in 2027 or 2028.