Wausau City Hall. MWC file photo.
It’s a busy night for the Wausau City Council as they consider a pair of projects for the near and long term.
One involves funding for soil remediation in Riverside Park, a long-discussed project aimed at removing dioxin-infested soil from the park. According to agenda materials included with the Finance Committee agenda, the city would pay a total of $154,000 out of its environmental fund for the work. That includes all the site work, closeout, and inspections.
The soil in Riverside Park has been examined for years, with both the city and a private citizen group conducting numerous rounds of testing on the area. Testing dates back to the early 2000s. Planning for the work has been in place since the fall of 2021.
There’s also a proposal on the table to close down the McLellan Street Parking Ramp on July 1st. According to a memo from Public Works Director Eric Lindman, it would cost the city more than $330,000 to keep the ramp viable into 2025, but even that’s not a guarantee that more work won’t be needed. Maintaining the first two levels and closing the upper levels would cost about $156,000.
The recommendation is the close the ramp and move those who park in it to other locations including the Jefferson Street ramp or surface lots in the area. Lindman’s memo also encourages the demolition of the ramp in 2024, citing “rapid deteoriation” of the ramp over the last 18 months.
The council will also take a final vote on a development agreement with SC Swiderski for a new apartment, retail, and parking development in the Riverlife area. Those details were approved a few weeks ago in a joint meeting between the Economic Development and Finance Committees.
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