Potential soil contamination among top concerns By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — Well over half of residents surveyed regarding the second phase of Thomas Street reconstruction plans oppose any additional roadway expansion, according to city documents. In a memo to Wausau Public Works Director Eric Lindman, AECOM Project Manager Ryan Barz said 28 written comments were […]
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Wausau seeks redevelopment for Thomas Street parcels
By Shereen Siewert City officials will seek proposals to redevelop a portion of Thomas Street, an area where homes were demolished to make way for road reconstruction that completed in 2019. The request for proposals will be released by the city this week, with proposals due in late February. Eight parcels are being offered for […]
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Thomas Street, First Avenue projects not yet complete
By Shereen Siewert Major reconstruction for portions of Thomas Street and South First Avenue in Wausau are not yet complete due to temperature conditions, according to a city of Wausau news release issued Wednesday. City officials say both streets have been paved, with final landscaping near completion. But pavement markings, which must be placed during […]
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(UPDATED) Thomas Street project hits groundwater, fueling environmental concerns
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the chief concern expressed by critics of the project and the level of risk to the city’s water supply. By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — Crews replacing utilities as part of the Thomas Street project hit groundwater on May 16, fueling concerns from local advocates and […]
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Penta wastewater contamination detected in Thomas Street neighborhood
By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — After a contentious meeting Thursday that included new revelations of wastewater contamination on the city’s west side, members of Wausau’s capital improvements and street maintenance committee rejected a request for an easement to bury utility lines along the proposed Thomas Street project corridor. According to city documents, Wausau Water Works […]
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Toxic secrets: Pollution, evasion and fear in Wausau’s River Street neighborhood
By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU – As Wausau edges forward on a planned road reconstruction and expansion of the River Edge Trail, a local citizens group is calling for greater transparency and better communication on environmental issues in the Thomas Street region. The request, by Citizens for a Clean Wausau, calls for the city to establish […]
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Excavation on Thomas Street alarms residents
By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — Despite repeated assurances from city officials that any excavating of Thomas Street soils would include a water truck to minimize potential toxic dust transferred to nearby residents’ yards, crews spent several hours Thursday digging in the corridor without that safety measure in place. City officials were unaware of the excavation, […]
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Residents, activists plan demonstration leading up to Thomas Street vote
By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — A group of area residents opposed to reconstruction along the Thomas Street corridor will demonstrate Tuesday outside Wausau City Hall, in advance of a crucial vote on the project. The demonstration is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. The Wausau City Council is expected to vote on the project during […]
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Thomas Street contamination: Scare tactic or wakeup call?
By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — Residents in the River Street neighborhood are anxiously awaiting news of the city’s next move in the Thomas Street reconstruction plan, even as Wausau’s mayor calls the latest round of environmental testing an irresponsible scare tactic. Mayor Rob Mielke made the comments Monday during a radio interview on WSAU. “We’re […]
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UPDATE: Attorney urges city to table Thomas Street action
(Updated, 5:03 p.m.) By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU –Despite test results that revealed hazardous chemicals and dioxins along the Thomas Street corridor, the city appears to be committed to moving forward with a planned road construction project for the area. Wausau Pilot and Review first broke this story on Tuesday afternoon, including a page from the […]
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BREAKING: Independent Thomas Street tests show cancer, hazard risks
By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — Independent tests performed in January revealed that hazardous chemicals do exist in the surface soil in an area slated for a major road reconstruction project, Wausau Pilot and Review has learned. The bottom line, according to a DNR worksheet attached to the report: the location needs further cleanup to lower […]
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Public information meeting set for next phase of Thomas Street project
WAUSAU — City leaders are poised to unveil updated plans for the second phase of the Thomas Street reconstruction plan, days after independent testing of the soil was completed. Updated plans will be uploaded to the city’s website no later than the end of the day on Jan. 18 and a public meeting is set […]
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Thomas Street residents remain unconvinced about the need for road project
By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — As plans for independent soil testing along the Thomas Street corridor are being finalized, residents opposed to the project say they are convinced the project has more to do with the city’s desire for redevelopment and less to do with road safety. In 2006, city leaders approved a five-lane conceptual […]
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Opinion: Who is paying for Thomas Street?
By Keene Winters Who is paying for the construction on Thomas Street in Wausau? Does anyone know? This seems to be the mystery of the decade. After all, we made it all the way through Phase I without understanding the answer. At a recent city meeting regarding the second phase of the project, questions were […]
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City docs: Thomas Street real estate acquisition to begin in February
By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — The process to acquire real estate along Thomas Street from Fourth Avenue to the Wisconsin River could kick off as early as February, according to city documents. Members of the finance committee on Tuesday will review a request to spend more than $165,000 on real estate acquisition services from MSA, […]
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Fight for Thomas Street environmental testing continues
By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — Independent environmental testing planned for the Thomas Street corridor is 10 times more sensitive than the method used by the city’s consultants and is more likely to reveal the presence of dioxins, according to an attorney representing a neighborhood group. Milwaukee attorney Ted Warpinksi, who represents the Citizens for an […]
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Thomas Street plan met with questions, debate
By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — A brief presentation to discuss a design for the second phase of construction along Thomas Street stretched for more than an hour Wednesday night, drawing sharp criticism and concern from residents opposed to the plan. Representatives from engineering firm AECOM along with Wausau Public Works Director Eric Lindman were on […]
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Thomas Street plans unveiled; Public meeting set for Wednesday
By Shereen Siewert WAUSAU — City officials on Tuesday made public the final 30 percent design plan for the second phase of reconstruction on Thomas Street, one day before a public hearing that will discuss the project. The latest design calls for the city to acquire and demolish all 12 homes that line the north […]