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Wausau council rejects bid to build single-family infill home at 1019 W Bridge Street after residents question cost
Summary
The Common Council voted 1–10 to reject an economic-development committee recommendation to accept a single bid to build a modular single-family house at 1019 W. Bridge Street after residents and multiple council members said the project’s $348,000 build cost and $140,000 proposed sale price made the plan impractical.
The Wausau Common Council on Jan. 14, 2025, voted 1–10 to reject a bid to construct one single-family infill house at 1019 West Bridge Street using ARPA and CDBG-related funds, after public comment and council debate questioned the project’s cost-effectiveness.
The resolution before the council would have approved the economic development committee’s recommendation to award a construction contract for the property to Brian Luke and Associates Construction LLC. The motion to accept the recommendation was recorded as made by “Luke” with a second by “Hanke” (as noted in the meeting record); the motion failed by a roll-call tally recorded in the meeting as 1 yes and 10 no. The council did not identify individual roll-call votes on the record; only the tally was announced.
Several preregistered citizens urged the council to reject the plan or asked for alternatives. Joanne Leonard, a Wausau resident who gave her address as 923 Maple Hill Road, said the “numbers for the request ... do not add up,” and asked why a home reportedly costing about $348,000 to build would be sold as “affordable housing” for about $140,000. “I urge the council to vote no on this project,” Leonard said during public comment.
Maggie Cronin of 311 Summit Drive also told the council she attended the economic development committee meeting and that many taxpayers she spoke with do not support the proposal. She said the city should consider other approaches, including lowering taxes and utilities, working with proven nonprofit builders such as Habitat for Humanity, or pursuing denser housing options that create more units per dollar of subsidy.
Director Randy Freifrank, the city’s economic development director, said staff had run four bid iterations and ultimately received only one acceptable bid. “It’s frustrating because we know we need housing,” Freifrank told the council, explaining the market and infill constraints that pushed pricing higher. He said the bid proposed a modular home (sourced from Stratford Homes) so the city could use CDBG funds; staff had chosen modular construction partly to qualify for that funding and to shorten the project timeline.
Council members from several wards questioned the project's scale and cost. Alder Rasmussen said the ARPA-funded program was intended to produce more impact for more people; Alder Rasmussen and others suggested denser solutions (duplexes, fourplexes) could stretch subsidy dollars further. Alder Lukens, Alder Larson, Alder McElhinney and others also said the specific bid created a large subsidy gap — described in discussion as roughly $200,000 — that made the single-family proposal untenable.
Multiple council members noted commitments on some lot dispositions and the public expectation that infill lots be used for housing. Several alderpersons said they support infill housing in principle but not at the cost levels shown in the bid.
The vote: the council announced the motion failed by a vote of 1 to 10. The meeting record indicates that rejecting the bid will end consideration of this specific contractor and proposal; staff said they will continue to pursue other housing solutions and consider whether to list lots for sale to private builders or pursue higher-density projects.
Votes at a glance from the Jan. 14 meeting (as recorded on the council floor): the consent agenda passed 11–0; a suspension of rules (to permit consideration under 6(b) / 12(a)) passed 11–0; a council resolution approving a preventive maintenance agreement with Schindler Elevator Corporation (file 25-0104) passed 11–0; and an amendment to the City-County Information Technology Commission intergovernmental and operating agreement (file 21-0522) passed 11–0. The single-family infill bid for 1019 W. Bridge Street (file 25-0106) failed 1–10.
The council did not adopt the bid; council and staff said they will return to the broader strategy for using ARPA and other infill resources to produce housing with greater unit yield and lower per-unit subsidy.
