NFL DRAFT: THEN AND NOW
willingness to work with the Village and Ayres throughout the project contributed to its success, he said.
For example, because of the tight timeline, the Lombardi Access Road was shut down for a month, closing off businesses’ primary driveways, Schuh said. People could access the businesses via rear entryways, but the road closure still was a hardship. However, closing it reduced construction time by a month, he said.
“ The businesses’ cooperation was one of the reasons we could keep the project on track and finish on time,” Schuh said.“ Once they understood it will help them in the long run because it improves the safety of pedestrians and will bring more foot traffic in front of their businesses, they were on board.”
While every project has its challenges, overall, this one went smoothly, Hubbard said. Last year’ s mild weather was an advantage, and the time they invested upfront in planning and communicating with businesses helped avoid delays during construction, he said.
“ We got an early start but still the goal to get it done by early August was a big push,” Hubbard said.“ An early April snowstorm gave us a rough start to construction, but we caught up quickly. After that, everything came together. There were a few odd things but no crazy surprises that popped up because we had a thorough plan. We met all our goals, and the work has been well received.”
Pre-event, Schuh expressed his hopes that Mother Nature would follow the local business owners’ lead and cooperate when the NFL’ s smallest( and often
NFL DRAFT: THEN AND NOW
• Outside of the Super Bowl, the draft is now the largest event the NFL hosts each year.
• Green Bay is the ninth NFL city to host a draft since the NFL began moving it to a new location each year.
• From 1965-2014, the draft was hosted at locations in New York City. Prior to 1965, it was held in cities around the United States.
• Wisconsin last hosted an NFL draft in 1939, when the 1940 draft was held in Milwaukee. www. AyresAssociates. com 15