City once again looking to fill vacant Westside Battery site | Weekly Wausonian

The Wausau news for Sept. 9, 2021

Sep 9, 2021

After two failed projects and nearly five years of sitting vacant, city leaders are once again trying to fill the former Westside Battery building on Wausau’s near west side.

The site, which also once housed the L&S Printing building, was formerly the proposed home of an Urban Street Bistro restaurant and beer garden, but the owner wasn’t able to come up with funding and was cited for theft from Sam’s Club. And the owners of the Sixth Street Filling Station had proposed a new restaurant on the site but pulled out after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

The request for proposals went out Wednesday, assuming the city’s timeline was followed. The city’s Economic Development Committee lengthened the proposal timeline, and plans to review proposals in October. Community Development Director Liz Brodek says the site has had interested parties, including one known developer, though specifics weren’t mentioned.

Paid subscribers this week read the story of the Wausau Policing Task Force and the surprising trend that a related survey found. Consider supporting The Wausonain by becoming a paid subscriber today, and see all The Wausonian’s stories!

What else in Wausau?

The fight over COVID-19 protocols within the Wausau School District continued this week after a fourth grade child was infected with COVID-19 at Stettin Elementary and, according to the child’s mother, was symptomatic. District officials say they notified everyone in fourth grade at Stettin, but not the entire school, which advocates are criticizing as inadequate. The child tested positive Sept. 3 and this week the parent questioned the district’s procedures.

A fundraiser for a Pride and Acceptance mural has reached its goal, according to the organizer’s fundraiser page. The proposer, Bre, says on the fundraising page that Wausau Mural artist Stephanie Kohli will be painting the mural and donating her time. The mural doesn’t have a home yet, but the organizer is seeking a business with appropriate outside wall space for it.

Officials with the Grand Theater announced last week a mask mandate for all attendees to live shows as the first season of in-person shows since COVID-19 kicks off. All patrons must wear masks except when eating and drinking. Director Sean Wright says the plan has mostly been met with a positive response, and that some people who were holding off buying tickets now decided they feel safe in doing so.

Around the metro

Police say the origins of a fire that started in the Metro Apartments in Schofield isn’t suspicious. Police received additional information from their investigation from residents of the complex, including a video of the early stages of the fire, and determined it wasn’t likely criminal in nature.

Business

Some business openings to report: Massage Associates, with a special esthetics room in partnership with Verve Salon, opened in the Third Street Lifestyle Center (which many know as Washington Square). In the same building, the Back from Laos Hmong Museum opened earlier this month. And, The Garage is a new bar slated for Rib Mountain, though the opening has been delayed. The Garage is a themed bar with a wrench-shaped bar top.

Entertainment

Wausau Community Theater is back! After a long absence because of COVID-19, the WCT is back with the Sound of Music, Thursday through Saturday at the Grand Theater. You know the Sound of Music. If you’ve ever hummed “these are a few of my favorite things,” then you know the story. But for the uninitiated, the story goes like this: a young nun is sent to be the governess for a naval officer’s seven children in Austria. Of course she and the officer fall in love and find a way to cope with the Nazis destruction of their homeland via their shared love of music. The show is 6:30 pm Thursday, 7:30 pm Friday, and 2 pm and 7:30 pm on Saturday. Advanced tickets are $22 adults, $18 seniors, $14 youth; prices increase at the door by $3.

It’s Artrageous Weekend in Wausau! Nearly the entire downtown becomes an art gallery this Saturday and Sunday with three main events: Art in the Park, with 120 juried artists showing their wares at Marathon Park; Festival of the Arts, where more than 120 artists sell their wares in the downtown Wausau area; and Birds in Art, the biggest bird art show in the entire country. Plus, don’t miss events going on at the Center for the Visual Arts and the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art. For the full accounting of the weekend’s festivities, check out the event’s website.

The 9/11 tragedy’s 20th anniversary is upon us. It’s a sad day, and one way to work through your grief is to join the Run for the Fallen in Kronenwetter to honor the men and women who risked their lives running into the burning twin towers that day. Online registration has closed but same-day registration is still possible. See the Facebook page event for more information.

Sports

D.C. Everest Volleyball defeated Marshfield in its opening conference match Thursday to earn its first win in Valley Conference play. Wausau West also won its Thursday match, defeating Wisconsin Rapids to join DCE at the top of the Valley leaderboard.

Speaking of West and DCE, both boys soccer teams lead the top of the Wisconsin Valley Conference. Everest shut out Marshfield 5-0 on Tuesday and West defeated crosstown rival East 5-2.

Wausau West is tied for first in the Wisconsin Valley Conference after winning its first conference matchup against D.C. Everest 20-13 on Friday. Marshfield, SPASH and Wisconsin Rapids all won their season openers to tie for first in the Valley Football Association, which varies from the general Valley Conference teams in that it includes Hortonville and Appleton West.

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