West Side Battery in Wausau. MWC photo by Mike Leischner.
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Wausau’s Economic Development Committee has voted to award the West Side Battery property near Stewart Avenue and First Avenue to Madison-area developer Gorman and Company for affordable housing.
The vote came after about 20 minutes of open-session discussion and a brief closed session as part of a special meeting on Wednesday. Alder Lisa Rasmussen says their proposal checks all the boxes.
“We have needs for housing at all income levels and we have needs for affordable housing that we have talked of,” said Rasmussen just before making a motion to approve Gorman and Company’s proposal. “It’s to the extent that we are even looking into a task force and working with the county on ways we can creatively solve some of these problems. The project that’s been put before us by Gorman checks all the boxes along those lines.
“It also offers a quality aesthetic and a way to bring residents to a neighborhood and activate the public spaces that are planned for the east side of the river and [Tax Increment District] 8,” she added.
Committee Chair Tom Neal echoed those comments and added that he would welcome additional projects in the area that could bring more housing as well.
“Congratulations, [I] look forward to future developments. Not just there, but elsewhere. It came up in our discussions that it’s not just a question of one residential development; but two or three. We do need the stuff,” said Neal.
Before the closed session representatives of Gorman and Company did address some issues that could arise with the project such as the need to move some utilities and the tight quarters of the space. They also revealed that they have had positive discussions with nearby landowners about possibly taking over some nearby property to provide more parking for residents.
Before they get started Gorman and Company will be applying for some tax credits for the project. Plans don’t call for construction until 2023, with the units movie-in ready by the summer of 2024.
RELATED: No Decision on West Side Battery Property
The other proposal for the site came from the Wausau Opportunity Zone, which would have taken over the land and razed the buildings to create a green space to complement the mixed-use development planned for the former Wausau Center Mall site.
The committee’s recommendation will now go to the full council for approval at a later date.
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