Damakant Jayshi
Concerned with the costs of constructing a single complex for a public works and utilities office and its workshop, Wausau’s Capital Improvements and Street Maintenance Committee on Thursday directed staff to work on proposal that splits the two.
The cost for a single site would have been an estimated $31 million.
The committee this week heard a presentation by Barrientos Design that compared 10 properties, including the existing Dept. of Public Works site on Myron Street. The consulting firm narrowed the preferred choices to the current 14.8-acre site, a Marathon County-owned 12.5-acre parcel and 23.3 acres on Westwood Drive.
Public Works officials requested the study in October 2021, saying their existing site is inadequate.
Barrientos’ representative and DPW staff say they want a site that allows room for growth. Most options are sites that would require rezoning, except for the Myron Street site, which is part of a brownfield.
But the CISM committee members balked at the construction cost.
Dist. 7 Alder Lisa Rasmussen said the original plan was a split between having an office at the existing DPW site and constructing an engineering workshop at a secondary site that would cost around $8-10 million, instead of moving the entire DPW operation to a new site at more than triple the cost. Rasmussen also said Westwood Drive was developed as prime commercial property to generate revenue, not meant for a “city garage visible from the highway.”
The City Council rejected a previous attempt to redevelop 1300 Cleveland Avenue for DPW’s fleet maintenance workshop or for the commercial use by private sector. Dist. 3 Alder Tom Kilian and residents in the surrounding neighborhood were largely opposed to the idea and pushed for the site to be thoroughly inspected for chemical hazards.
When the Cleveland Avenue property discussions were initiated last year, Dept. of Public Works Director Eric Lindman did not inform Kilian of the potential plan, which drew a sharp response from the alder, who represents a portion of the district surrounding the property. Lindman denied a lack of transparency, noting that the review was on multiple committee agendas.
Lindman also initiated a feasibility study for the facility expansion, including at 1300 Cleveland, without first informing the City Council. The council approved the feasibility study but took out the Cleveland property from the list.
Rasmussen said she is in favor of splitting the DPW operation in two sites – the existing one for then office and a new for the engineering facility.
Dist. 5 Alder Gary Gisselman suggested trying to build the facility on a city-owned property to minimize the overall cost.
CISM Committee chair, Dist. 10 Alder Lou Larson, suggested looking into former Wausau Iron Works property on South 10th Avenue. He said after buildings on the entire block were torn down, a huge mess remained.
“If we can put up the facility there, it would definitely be a progress,” Larson said.
With the CISM Committee’s consensus being in favor of splitting the facilities, DPW director Lindman said staff will talk to some of the property owners at relevant sites and get back to the committee.
