GREEN BAY (WLUK) – Brown County will build a new 911 tower near the jail to replace the one which will torn down when UW-Green Bay razes the Cofrin Library.

The County Board unanimously approved Wednesday using $2.2 million in federal COVID-19 relief money to cover the costs of the new tower.

UW-Green Bay is planning a $96 million replacement of the Cofrin Library,leading to problem for the county’s public safety agencies. There’s a 911 cell tower atop the eight-story building that will need to be replaced.

It’s one of seven towers in the network, and provides coverage in the northeast part of the county. Tower replacement isn’t something the state is planning to pay for, leading to the discussions of how to pay for the new one, and where it should go. The county says it's ruled out most other buildings on campus to put the tower either permanently or temporarily. The new library, which is expected to be four or five stories tall, likely won't be high enough for the new tower, either.

A spot just south of the jail has been selected, with a total cost of about $2.2 million.