WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (WSAU) — Wisconsin Rapids Mayor Shane Blaser saw his tenure start with the idling of the city’s paper mill.
It ends with an announcement regarding the sale of the facility.
Billrud has announced they will sell the building to Capital Recovery Group, LLC. The deal is expected to close next month, but the companies have already discussed a liquidation auction for some of the equipment that’s sat idle for the last four years. Blaser says that’s one big step towards a positive change for the area.
“Kyle Kearns, our Community Development Director, and I have been in conversations with them. This also isn’t the first time that we have met this company. Phone numbers have been exchanged so we will continue to develop that relationship,” said Blaser.
A smaller downtown mill will continue to run under the Sonoco banner. As for the big facility, he says it’s too soon to tell what could happen but he doesn’t rule out repurposing the facility for a different kind of manufacturing or complete redevelopment.
No matter what happens it’s too soon to tell where the redevelopment will take the parcel. “Time will tell, but at least now that this company [will] own it- this is what they do. They purchase mills and convert them. The hope is that this will be successful and we will have some operating businesses here.”
Other topics Mayor Blaser discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video- Sale of idled paper mill
6:55- City Council decision on residency requirements for some jobs
11:20- Biggest accomplishments
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