Artist rendering of 'The River' concert venue. Image courtesy: The River
“The River” proposal is coming back to Wausau’s Economic Development Committee on Wednesday.
Local music mogul Joe Ellis and business partner Anna Herman of VY Properties introduced the proposed concert and event venue in early June. Ellis said the venue would “fill a void” in the local music scene and could take Wausau from a community that musicians pass through between shows to a destination on their tours, especially those going between larger markets such as Chicago, Milwaukee, or the Twin Cities.
Those claims have been questioned by some including Sean Wright, the director of the Grand Theater. He told the Economic Development Committee that he doesn’t see how the venue would make Wausau a player on the touring concert scene, saying he’s had difficulty getting musical acts to play his venue. He also expressed concern about the city getting involved financially in a project directly competing with the Grand for shows.
The committee ultimately tabled the discussion and requested more information from Ellis and Herman. They are also scheduled to hear an update on plans for redevelopment at the Wausau Chemical site for Infused, a proposed mocktail lounge and indoor event space on Wausau Avenue. Original plans for that site had included a grand opening this year, though the agenda indicates that could be pushed into 2024.
Wednesday’s agenda can be found here. The meeting starts at 5:15 PM and is being held on a Wednesday due to the 4th of July holiday this week.
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