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Wausau committee tables North Second Street redevelopment proposal, directs staff to refine plan with proposer
Summary
The Wausau Economic Development Committee voted to table indefinitely a single RFI response to redevelop the North Second Street site and asked staff to work with the proposer to address parking, street-closure and price concerns before returning to committee.
The Wausau Economic Development Committee on Sept. 2 tabled indefinitely a redevelopment concept for the North Second Street site and directed staff to work with the single proposer to refine the plan before the committee takes further action.
The proposal — the only response to the city's request for information — would redevelop the parcel at North Second Street with mixed-use buildings and about 50 residential units. Director Feifried told the committee staff had published the RFI and received only one response and recommended staff and proposer refine the concept before any permanent action.
The item drew public comment and several committee questions. Becky Hebda, a Wausau business owner, raised map and parking concerns during public comment, saying, "In looking at page 13 of that document ... it shows the property that's available going to DeKalb Street ... on page 20 it doesn't show DeKalb."
Alder Killian pressed the proposer and staff on three issues: whether North Second Street would be closed, the level of city financial participation and the purchase price offered. Killian said the proposal shows a $75,000 purchase price and reported the city assessor, "Mr. Rubio," estimated the parcel's value at about $180,000. Killian also noted that only 12 of about 50 proposed residential units were shown as affordable in the concept and said she could not support moving forward without more detail.
The developer, identified in the packet and at the meeting as Gizo, described the submission as preliminary and said he was "absolutely open to sit down with the city and figure out what is feasible," including changes to unit mix, price and parking configuration. He said financing would likely be mixed private and public participation and that final designs and numbers would come later in the process.
Committee members discussed parking and circulation. The proposer and staff said typical parking guidance for projects like this is about one-and-a-half spaces per unit (roughly 75 stalls for 50 units) and that subgrade or first-floor parking could be considered; the current concept showed primarily surface parking.
Alder Killian moved to table the item and asked staff to return with substantially more information; Alder Tierney seconded. The committee voted to table the proposal indefinitely and directed staff to work with the proposer to refine the plan before it returns to the committee.
The committee did not approve any purchase, financing or closure of North Second Street at the Sept. 2 meeting; staff will bring a revised proposal back for committee consideration.
