By the 1950s Old City Stadium had become decrepit and unaccommodating facility. As lineman John Martinkovic explained, “The locker room was horrendous, there were concrete floors. It was from the medieval ages” (Povletich, 97). Former Packers running-back Don Mcllhenny had this to say about his experience in Old City Stadium: “I have one memory of that old Green Bay stadium, is just how minor league it was” (Wood). In 1953, Milwaukee built County Stadium, home to the Brewers. 
The attractive new stadium in Milwaukee seated 45,000 people, compared to Old City Stadium which seated 25,000 people (Wood). The larger and new stadium in Milwaukee posed a threat to Green Bay, especially because the Packers already split their home games between Green Bay and Milwaukee (Povletich, 98). The city of Green Bay determined to keep their team in Green Bay decided to either renovate Old City Stadium, or build a new stadium. After it was estimated that over two-thirds of the old stadium would have to be replaced, building a new stadium became the only realistic option (Povletich, 99). As one man in 1956 pointed out in the Green Bay Press Gazette, “naturally it is much more expensive to make replacements on an old wood stadium than it is to maintain a new steel or concrete stadium,” again justifying why it was necessary to build a new stadium. To build a new stadium, the Packers would rely on the city of Green Bay to pass a referendum for funds. Requesting a $960,000 bond (half of the bond would be paid for by the Packers) for the new stadium, the Packers gave the city of Green Bay a choice: pass the referendum, or possibly lose their football team to Milwaukee (Wood).