WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau city council voted to approve changes to the reconstruction of Thomas St. and zoning for a new fire station.
The city council approved a split vote 8-3 on amendments to Phase 2 of the Thomas Street Project between 4th Avenue and the Wisconsin River Bridge on Tuesday evening.
The biggest change to the plan involves a driveway used by 3M. City Council President Lisa Rasmussen explains the change to the reconstruction plan regarding 3M’s driveway on Thomas Street. “There’s also been some work being done on the closure of a driveway that’s currently being used as a truck traffic entrance for 3M. The city is working with them to secure access for their trucks off of 1st Avenue instead. So that they’re not creating a dangerous bottleneck right at the intersection of 1st and Thomas.”
The council also unanimously approved the use of a city-owned plot at 3017 Seymour Lane on the west side of town for a new fire station. Rasmussen says the city is ready to build the fire station. “It’s actually ready for construction bids. I mean it’s planned, it’s in the design phase. The design is pretty well finalized, the funding is already there in the budget.”
Rasmussen says construction bids for the station will begin this winter. “I think they’ll be open in advance of construction season starting. I think they normally do that during the winter months because construction ramps up in the spring.”
The construction bids will be the next step in the process for the fire station project. The council also approved resolutions to apply for financial assistance from the state for the city’s wastewater treatment facility upgrade project.
