WAUSAU – The YWCA of Wausau is looking for potential buyers to re purpose the organization’s downtown building, but has no plans to cease operations, a representative said on Thursday.
The organization’s board of directors on Wednesday announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) submitted to Wausau for the building, which sits at the corner of Fifth and Grant Streets in the heart of the city’s downtown district.
“Right now we’re really looking for ideas,” said Rebecca Roberts, director of funding and communications for YWCA Wausau. “We have this grand building that we are under-utilizing. We want to see what’s out there.”
Built in the mid 1920’s, and expanded in 1974, the YWCA building has had many uses over the years, from a haven for traveling women, to a child care, to a business incubator that launched numerous local area businesses. The building currently contains offices, classrooms, and a ballroom on a .48 acre lot, and could be a prime location for a potential office or residential use, depending on the proposal, according to a media release.
“We’re absolutely not shutting down,” Roberts said. “We’re focusing on our core mission, and to do that, we’re exploring our options for the building.”
Proposals are due July 21.
