Wausau City Hall. MWC file photo
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — After plans for two different restaurant establishments fell through in the last four years, the city of Wausau has once again issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the west side battery location near the intersection of First Avenue and Stewart.
New Economic Development Director Elizabeth Brodek says the request follows much the same format as previous requests for the property, but she did make a few tweaks to the language. “[We’re including] that the proposals should further one or more strategic goals including innovative companies, talented workforce, and/or placemaking. That is based off a Greater Wausau Region economic development strategic plan,” said Brodek
Brodek notes that she has already received some interest in the site. When asked to provide specifics about those conversations, she declined to say much other than one would call for commercial development and the other would be residential. She added one was from a “known developer,” and the other was less familiar.
“I’m still learning how much I can elaborate on [these things,]” she added with a laugh. Brodek has only been on the job since early August after becoming the first full-time economic development director for the city since Chris Schock retired in mid-2020.
Original plans called for the RFP to remain up for four weeks but some on the committee including Alder Tom Kilian requested a six-week window to allow more time for proposals to be developed. Brodek said leaving the proposals open for much longer than a month could present challenges for a developer. “If they have to have something ‘on the books’ for different tax credit purposes by the end of the year, [a six-week window] would put us into review in November. So if there’s potential to have a special meeting in October, that might be the way to go.”
The committee settled on a five-week window with the understanding that they would call a special meeting in mid-October to go over the proposals.
Previous proposals had called for a Brewpub and event space at the location which would have been operated by owners of Urban Street Bistro. They withdrew the proposal in October of 2019 after the plan underwent multiple changes. Additionally, one of the developers was accused of shoplifting hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from a local big-box retailer.
RELATED: Economic Development Committee OK’s new Brew-Pub
A new RFP was selected in January of 2020 which called for an elevated breakfast and lunch establishment, this one proposed by the owners of the 6th Street Filling Station. Those plans were scrapped as the COVID-19 pandemic set in.
RELATED: Restaurant Proposal Approved for Westside Battery Property
The RFP will officially be listed on the city’s economic development website beginning Wednesday, and will also go out to other publications and message boards. Proposals will be due by October 6th, with the committee scheduling a special meeting the next week to go over the proposals.
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