11 Scott Street is a go | Weekly Wausonian

Wausau news for the week of March 26, 2026

Mar 26, 2026

The city council this week approved development and parking agreements with Lokre Development Co. for the 11 Scott Street apartment project.

The project aims to turn the largely empty downtown office building into a 52-unit, mid-market apartment complex.

Proponents of the project and the city’s involvement say it will drive growth downtown and aid valuations in the TIF district in which it is located.

Opponents worried that the parking agreement required the city to have 150 spots available for the building with a narrow radius, even if the parking ramp shut down. That’s because there doesn’t seem to be much alternative parking nearby that the city could provide.

But Community Development Director Randy Fifrick said that’s a reduction from the 480 spots the city was required to maintain under the previous agreement, and that the agreement would include revenue for the city.

We wrote about the 11 Scott Street project in our story on how Wausau’s missing “middle” range of housing is getting expensive.

Wausonian subscribers this week read our latest tavern report:

The Wausonian also published two city council previews: One on District 4, and the other on District 5. Expect Districts 7 and 11 in the coming week, along with school board and county board previews.

What else in Wausau?

City approves garbage contract that adds nearly $600,000 per year: The city council Tuesday approved a garbage and recycling contract that costs $573,298 per year more than the city’s previous contract. The ten-year contract is more expensive than in the past because Harter’s was just entering the market and wanted to gain a foothold, city officials say. The general terms of the contract were approved last fall.

New sights for Wausau Police guns will come from the sale of… a Tommy gun?: The city council Tuesday approved using proceeds from the sale of - yes you read that right - a Tommy gun in order to fund red optic sights for the police department’s handguns. The department sold the vintage Thompson submachine gun for $35,000 in 2016, but the proceeds were supposed to go toward the city’s shooting range. The sights are more accurate than traditional sights and new recruits are training on the new sights already. But how did the police department end up with the Tommy gun? The department purchased the gun in 1932, Wausau Police Chief Matt Barnes told The Wausonian. Many departments at the time were concerned about the increasing firepower of gangsters, and many Tommy guns made their way to the northern Wisconsin police departments.

Around the metro

DNR to hold spring public input hearings: The Department of Natural Resources will be holding its Fish and Wildlife Spring Hearings on April 13, the DNR announced last week. Marathon County’s hearing will be held at the ELC center in the Wausau School Forest. The meeting will be from 6 pm to 9 pm and allows residents to give feedback on fish, wildlife and other natural resources issues.

County will join PFAS litigation: Marathon County will join a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of PFAS chemicals. The Marathon County Board Tuesday approved joining the suit. Attorneys involved in the case told county leaders that they have already reached a settlement with those companies, but that a new wave of lawsuits could cover county interests in terms of soil health, airports and landfills. The county would participate via a 25% contingency fee, which means the county wouldn’t pay anything unless a settlement is reached. The county’s passage included an amendment that directed the county administrator to determine the costs and risks to the county of past PFAS exposure.

County names homelessness health coordinator: Marathon County has named a new public health coordinator for homelessness response. Meagan Barnett took on the new role created during last year’s budget. The county created the position by eliminating another health department role, meaning the position won’t cost additional tax dollars. Barnett worked for Sanford Health, part of the Marshfield Clinic system, before taking on the new county role.

Weston committee selects firm for Machmueller park reno: The Weston Parks Committee selected a firm to design the new master plan for Machmueller Park. The Parks Committee selected Rettler Corporation out of Stevens Point. Rettler submitted the second-lowest bid at $10,500, second only to JSD Professional Services in Weston at $9,000.

Business

Four Seasons Golf opens: The new, larger Four Seasons Golf facility opened in Rothschild last week. The new $3.1 million facility started construction last summer, an expansion of the business that started in 2019 in the former Ethan Allen building in Rib Mountain.

Hiawatha has new owners, and they’re looking to go fancy: It’s official - the Hiawatha Lounge has new owners, and they look like they’re taking the historic lounge in a more upscale direction. The owners, Clinton Schultz and Jean-Jacques de Roover, plan to offer a selection of craft beers and cocktails, dry-aged steaks and in-house ground burgers, locally sourced food and vegetarian and vegan options. The new owners listed a date of May 8 for their version to launch.

2510 is closing: The rumors had been circulating, but now it’s confirmed: Long-time Wausau restaurant 2510 will be closing its doors. The restaurant confirmed on a social media post that it will close its doors April 22. The restaurant opened as 2510 in 1985, after having been a Mr. Steak franchise starting in the late 1970s.

Entertainment

Lamplight Sessions has introduced a number of acts that otherwise might have slipped under the radar, and now some of those bands are popping up at other venues. That’s the case when Stevens Point’s Dandelion Delivery Service takes the stage at The Intermission, or The Mish, for those in the know. They’ll be joined by the duo version of Mike Clark and the Sugar Sounds, a huge band Dandelion has been touring with. And that’s only one of many events in the Wausau area this weekend.

Looking for kids/family events? Check out the full listing from The Wausonian’s partner Wausau Mama, who puts together a weekly listing of children/family activities.

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Sports

High school sports update: Full baseball and soccer practice started this week, and softball started last week. Most sports begin Wisconsin Valley Conference play in early April.

Email me at brian@thewausonian.com. And as always, thanks for subscribing to The Wausonian! If you haven’t subscribed yet, check out the free and paid options below to help support local journalism:

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