By Shereen Siewert
After a series of weather delays construction is back on track for Wausau’s Riverlife Villages Phase I plan, according to the development team now spearheading the project.
Riverlife Wausau, LLC, a local development partnership between Bob Ohde Construction, Mitch Viegut and Dr. Fernando Riveron, assumed control of the project in April after a series of city partnerships with other groups failed to materialize.
Viegut said the group is eyeing a June 1 opening thanks to a break in the weather that allowed for 50 cement trucks — and significant progress crucial to the project’s anticipated timeline. The development agreement with the city calls for the project to be complete no later than Dec. 31, 2020.
“The horrible weather almost pushed us back into starting next spring,” Viegut said. “Luckily a a few warm days here got us moving full bore ahead so construction will continue through the winter. We’re looking forward to taking pre-leases starting next month.”
The Riverlife, LLC proposal projects that their plan will create 10 full-time jobs with salaries in the $40,000 range within one to three years. The group also pledged to sign a community workforce agreement with the local building trades council and source all subcontractors from within a 100-mile radius of Wausau.
The city also reserved land south of the project area for a second phase of the project, subject to council approval, at a later date. Phase 2 of the project, if approved, would begin later and is expected to include either residential or commercial units with a value of at least $14 million.
