Wausau City Hall. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau Parks and Recreation Committee will continue to digest two proposals for the Riverlife Concessions Stand ahead of next month’s meeting.
The Committee held a special discussion on the issue on Monday, discussing potential changes to the proposal, including a possible re-issuance of the request before their scheduled February 2nd meeting. Much of the discussion centered on off-month lease payments, which may have kept others from putting in a request.
Alder Lisa Rasmussen said they can’t expect the leaseholder to cover all the expenses associated with the stand year-round. “We just need to decide what we want to offer down there, and how far we want to subsidize it.”
Both Juan Antonio Casarrabias and Dylan Alwin addressed the committee. Alwin told them he had set up his proposed lease structure on a 12-month “structure.” While Casarrabias said he structured his proposal with profitability in mind, saying that the stand won’t succeed by “just selling ice cream.
“[I’m willing] to work long hours, morning till evening, six days a week at least. Seven days a week during the summer. I’ll try to work during the winter so the concept can work- bringing people in there,” added Casarrabias.
RELATED: Wausau Parks and Rec Committee Hears Riverlife Concessions Proposals
Alder Tom Neal reminded his peers that the Parks and Recreation department isn’t a money maker. “We don’t make money on anything that parks does. Even in a great year at Sylvan Hill [tubing area] we don’t make a profit. Our mission isn’t to sit here and hammer out profit or cover expenses. The city made a decision to have this amenity, maybe we regret it now I don’t know, but we need to find a way to provide the amenity to the people visiting that area.”
Neal and Committee Chair Lou Larson both said they want the city to find a long-term partner for the stand so they aren’t required to negotiate these proposals year after year. Rasmussen added that whoever gets the lease should keep an open line of communication with the city. “That’s what I wish the last vendor had done. Before they decided to take down the sign and leave, if we had a similar conversation about what that operation took, how it was going, I think that we could have made different choices and shown some flexibility. That conversation never happened, at least with us,” said Rasmussen.
“Rather than just up and leaving, saying ‘I can’t make it,’ come to us,” added Larson.
The stand was originally leased to Briq’s, but that partnership ended in 2025. City leaders then turned to Weston’s Pho Zone to provide both hot and cold food and beverages from the stand last July and August on a temporary basis.
No decision was made during Monday’s meeting. The group anticipates a decision in February, then passing that recommendation on to the Finance committee to work out the details of the agreement, including lease payments.
The full council will then have final approval over the decision in late February.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed quotes to Dylan Alwin. It has been updated to reflect the correction. WSAU News regrets the error.
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