WAUSAU, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – The Ponderosa Motel, vacant after a fire from five years ago, was demolished on Monday.
The years since the blaze have been full of uncertainty for the property, while the gutted building sat empty. The Marathon County Board acquired the property, Wausau later took control, and decided to turn the land into affordable housing.
Monday afternoon, neighbors from the South East side of Wausau watched on as the Ponderosa perished. Some even set out lawn chairs to enjoy the long-fought end.
Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg worked on the project from her time on the County Board to her new role for the city. On Monday, she even hopped in the excavator and took some of the building down herself. “I give these operators a lot of credit, there is a lot of art to what they’re doing here,” she told WAOW-TV.
The lot is set to be sold to Emmerich Properties, to build an 8-unit apartment complex for the elderly or disabled. Construction work will begin later this summer.
