By Raymond Neupert/South Metro Observer
WAUSAU, Wis. – With Younkers set to close their location in the Wausau Center Mall, Wausau officials say they’re hoping the mall’s owners can step up and take charge of the situation.
Wausau Mayor Rob Mielke says the city found out about the closure Wednesday afternoon through a press release from Younkers parent company Bon-Ton. He says that while the closure is not a surprise it’s still disappointing.
“Younkers was there since the start of the mall, it was Prange’s at that time back in 1983,” Mielke said.
City leaders have been aware of the restructuring plan at Bon-Ton, Mielke said, and had been hoping to help keep the store open.
Mielke says that the city has been trying to get the owners of the mall to re position themselves
“This is not a city decision, we want residents to realize that,” Mielke said. “People seem to think we own the mall, we really don’t. The owners of the mall need to decide where to go from here. The city supports the owners of the mall, and what they want to do in the future.”
News of the closure comes nearly two years after city leaders approved a $4.1 million plan to help former Wausau Center owner CBL with physical improvements for the mall. Part of CBL’s plan, which never materialized, involved moving Younkers from its current location to the space once occupied by J.C. Penney. At the time, CBL representatives said moving Younkers was critical to keeping the anchor store open.
But the Younkers move never happened, and CBL eventually walked away from the property, turning it over to the bank. The mall is now owned by an investment firm in Florida.
Younkers departure means there will be no anchor stores left in the once-bustling 424,000 square foot downtown mall, which in 1983 had three anchor tenants.
The closure is slated to start on Thursday, Feb. 1 and could take 10 to 12 weeks to finish. The closure will put approximately 50 people out of work.
Bon-Ton company officials declined to comment further.
