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Plan commission approves multiple TID project-plan amendments and dedicates 20-foot right-of-way at 700 Grand Ave.
Summary
The commission adopted amendments to tax increment district (TID) project plans (TID 3 amendment 6, TID 7 amendment 4, TID 8 amendment 5) to add infrastructure, land-assembly and increment-sharing items, and approved dedication of a 20-foot right-of-way at 700 Grand Avenue as part of a development agreement.
The Wausau Plan Commission on April 29 approved several finance-led project-plan amendments for tax increment districts and approved a 20-foot right-of-way dedication tied to a private development agreement.
TID 3: Finance staff presented Project Plan Amendment No. 6 for Tax Increment District (TID) No. 3, which adds infrastructure projects and associated costs. Mary Anne (finance) described projects including Fulton Street improvements, First to North Seventh Street water and sewer work, First Street River Drive and related water and sewer work, construction and engineering costs for new streets where the mall was demolished, demolition of the old water plant (near Wausau Chemical and River Life Park), Second Street water and sewer between Short and DeKalb, parking ramp improvements and additional on-street parking to serve the YMCA. The Plan Commission held a public hearing and adopted the plan amendment; the item now moves to the Common Council on May 13 and then to a joint review board as required by the process.
TID 7: The commission also approved Project Plan Amendment No. 4 for TID No. 7, authorizing one year of surplus increment sharing with TID No. 12 for 2026. Finance staff said the one-year sharing is an estimated $1.75 million (estimate provided during the hearing) and explained TID 12's difficulties after the mall demolition reduced tax base value. The proposed one-year donor payment is intended to help TID 12 recover demolition and underground-street costs and position the district for potential closure or a housing extension next year.
TID 8: Project Plan Amendment No. 5 for TID No. 8 was approved to add land-assembly costs for two parcels on the west side of the river adjacent to TID 8. Mary Anne said these parcels are strategically important for redevelopment, to relocate industrial uses away from the riverbank (she named Marathon Box as a current occupant), and to allow extension of the River Edge Trail. Staff noted acquisition and embankment work could be costly but would enable public trail access and facilitate riverfront clean-up and redevelopment.
Right-of-way dedication at 700 Grand Avenue: The commission approved dedicating a 20-foot strip of land at 700 Grand Avenue. Staff said that dedication is part of the city's development agreement with Commonwealth and was identified to reserve space for any future Grand Avenue right-of-way expansion; the item was noted as already passing the infrastructure committee and appearing on the Common Council agenda for potential suspension of rules that night.
Each of the TID amendments passed by motion after public hearing; the commission recorded motions to forward appropriate resolutions to the Common Council following the standard joint-review-board process. The TID items were characterized by staff as largely procedural public-hearing steps required by state statutes and the joint-review-board process.
Action recorded: approval of TID 3 Project Plan Amendment No. 6; approval of TID 7 Project Plan Amendment No. 4 (one-year increment sharing with TID 12, approx. $1.75M estimate); approval of TID 8 Project Plan Amendment No. 5 (land assembly and trail access); approval to dedicate a 20-foot right-of-way at 700 Grand Avenue as part of a development agreement with Commonwealth.
