By Shereen Siewert
A Wausau advocacy group that offers meals, shelter and other support to residents struggling with addiction is rolling out a robust plan to shift services to a larger building and add a sober living center for women.
Bridge Street Mission Executive Director Craig Vincent, in a letter to the city, said one campus location would allow the Mission to expand and serve more people in need, closer to where they are located and in facilities “more conducive to our programming and with more efficiency.”
The Mission aims to acquire the Pied Piper Plaza to create a one-campus arrangement for current and future services. The Plaza currently houses several businesses with Bethesda Thrift Store anchoring the north end of the building.
Today, the Mission operates an outreach center at 115 W. Bridge St. and a sober living center at 1140 W. Bridge St., but no sober living space for women. The group aims to create a single-campus arrangement for future outreach services, according to city documents.
City officials will consider a zoning change to make way for the proposal this week. The building is currently zoned Planned Unit Development, and had been used for residential occupancy on the second floor. In 2014, the property was rezoned to allow for the mix of community living arrangements and commercial space within the same building. The current proposal would expand the residential component of the second floor, requiring city action.
The Plan Commission meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, which will include a public hearing on the matter.
The first phase of the Bridge Street Mission proposal would move current operations into the existing space on the second floor, accommodating up to 32 men. Phase two would involve expanding shower space to accommodate up to 40 men and add an elevator. A commercial kitchen on the first floor could serve up to 120 people.
A third phase would involve building out the rest of the upstairs to offer space for 20 women in a sober living center. Residents in sober-living homes commit to abstaining from substance use while participating in outpatient programming or after completing inpatient drug rehab. Advocates say going into a sober living home after leaving an addiction treatment center can often make the difference between sobriety and relapse.
Sober living spaces are in high demand, with few options in Wausau. North Central Health Care operates sober living spaces called “Hope House” in several counties,but in Wausau, the home has just five beds and caters only to men. A space for women, Hope House Antigo, has just eight beds, according to the NCHC website.
In a June 13 staff report, City Planner Brad Lenz said approving the general development plan amendment would make way for the Mission to move forward with phase one and plan for future phases.
Specific implementation plans for the PUD would need to come back to Plan Commission when physical changes are made to the exterior building in future phases, he said.
Bridge Street Mission is a Christian-based outreach center that offers hot meals on weekdays for people in need. The center plays a key role in addressing the needs of the city’s homeless community, some of whom struggle with addiction issues.
Approving the general development plan amendment would allow the Bridge Street Mission to
acquire the property and move forward with phase one, as well as plan for future phases.
Specific Implementation Plans for the PUD would need to come back to Plan Commission when
physical changes are made to the exterior building and/or to the overall site in phases two and
three.
