Could old campus become a Wausau police station? | Weekly Wausonian

Wausau news for the week of July 16, 2026

The city of Wausau is eyeing the former campus of UWSP-Wausau for a new police station.

Wausau’s Committee of the Whole Monday directed city staff to prepare a proposal to the county to turn part of the campus into a police station for the city.

UWSP-Wausau announced last year that it would be vacating the campus and moving in with NTC starting in the fall. The county, which owns the buildings and property, already put out one round of requests for proposals for what to do next with the property. A group was awarded the Center for Civic Engagement with the understanding it would keep existing tenants, but the county is seeking a new round of proposals for the rest of the campus.

If the police station moves, the fire department could expand into the rest of the police building, which is adjoined to the current fire station. That would solve space issues for both departments.

The city bought land for a new fire station at 815 and 811 Grand Avenue last year. The city paid more than $800,000 for the site.

According to Police Chief Matt Barnes, his proposal would help the city avoid building a $28 million fire station on the site.

The committee approved directing staff to work on the proposal to the county.

Excessive Wausau city overtime was the big topic of discussion last week — but The Wausonian dug through some records and found the city’s finance director is banking some serious vacation:

And the Hiawatha has been an institution in Wausau, in various incarnations. But the latest, called Hiawatha Social, is unique and upscale, our contributing writer found.

What else in Wausau?

City passes data center ordinance: The Wausau City Council Tuesday passed an ordinance regarding data centers — with an additional 200 feet of setback required. Were a data center proposed for the city, it would require a conditional use permit, and require a report on impacts on water usage, energy usage, wastewater, sustainability, noise and utility impacts. The ordinance passed 11-0, but some commenters suggested the city should ban them altogether. The ordinance is considered a starting point and could come back for future discussion.

City HR director resigns: Wausau’s HR Director, Lisa Nowak, will resign effective at the end of the month, according to a copy of her resignation letter obtained by The Wausonian. Nowak told The Wausonian she took another job after a months-long hiring process. “It has been a privilege to serve the City, and I'm proud of the HR infrastructure we've built together,” Nowak says. Nowak had replaced James Henderson, who resigned at the beginning of 2025 after a little more than two years on the job.

Finance Director: City facing $1 million shortfall: City leaders this week learned that the city is likely facing $1 million in budget shortfalls as compared to last year. That comes, according to Finance Director Maryanne Groat, as the result of lowered shared revenue from the state, the end of grants that funded the city’s new firefighters, a 10% insurance premium increase and about $300,000 more in garbage fees. That shortfall comes despite the $1.4 million increase in levy limit caps, Groat explained.

Water commission forwards mandatory lead replacement ordinance: When the city started replacing lead pipes, it was always said that the replacements would be at no cost to the homeowners. Now there’s a chance that might not be true. The city’s Water Works Commission Tuesday approved forwarding an ordinance that mandates lead pipe replacement on the homeowners’ side. The city started the program in 2024 to start replacing all of the roughly 8,000 lead lines in the city, because lead exposure can lead to negative health outcomes. The ordinance is meant to ensure replacement in the case of a homeowner who refuses. But a provision that would have only mandated replacement if the line was 100% paid for was removed, which means residents whose neighbors received free replacement might be required to pay for theirs who weren’t yet eligible. That’s because less funding is expected to be available in future years. The city discussed payments plans, special assessments, loans, grants and other methods to help residents pay for the replacements.

Around the metro

County committee approves crime victim comfort room: Marathon County’s Public Safety Committee last week approved funding for a new victim comfort room for the District Attorney’s Office. The room would allow victims of crimes a place to wait during court appearances away from defendants and their families. The money would come out of the DA Office’s contingency fund and would cost less than $10,000.

Wildfire haze brings dangerous pollution to central Wisconsin: Wausonians woke up to dangerous levels of wildfire smoke. Wildfires from Canada and Minnesota drifted to Wausau Wednesday morning amid a dangerous heat wave. The Department of Natural Resources issued an air quality advisory that runs through at least 11 am today (Thursday), but could be extended.

County opens disaster recovery center: A disaster recovery center opened Tuesday in the town of Ringle to assist those impacted by the April tornado. The center can help impacted residents get financial assistance from FEMA for things including “basic home repairs, personal property losses or other uninsured disaster-related needs such as childcare, transportation, medical needs, funeral, or dental expenses,” according to a press release from Marathon County. Residents can also log on themselves to see if they qualify for financial assistance.

Executive committee not yet sold on wind farm agreement: The Marathon County Executive Committee decided to seek more information after a sub-committee recommended not entering an agreement for a wind farm in the southwest corner of the county. The Wausonian previously wrote about the proposed Marathon County wind farm by Alliant Energy, and the strong public opposition to it. Wind farms are regulated by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, and counties appear to have little say in the matter, but the thought was a joint development agreement could help the county have some say over its development. But many committee members sought to find a way to oppose the project, even by potentially partnering with other counties. The committee decided to seek more information before it makes a decision.

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Business

Jade Panda closed: Filipino fusion restaurant Jade Panda closed its doors this month. The restaurant, which opened roughly one year ago in the former Khamchanh’s restaurant space in Rothschild, announced the closure on Facebook last week. The restaurant’s owner implied that there are “new things on the horizon” and told fans of the restaurant to keep following the page for updates. The restaurant’s website says it is closed and they are relocating. Meanwhile, interestingly, Khamchanh’s old website with its old menu is still up.

Entertainment

This week we’re highlighting a show that’s a bit of a drive. But after giving Adrian and Meredith a listen, we think it’s worth it, because the high-energy band is more than meets the eye. But there is also the second Night Market on Thursday, a magic show, a blues rock band and so much more this weekend. All in Your Wausome Weekend Guide!

Sports

College baseball: The Woodchucks found themselves down early against the Madison Mallards Tuesday, but rallied late to earn a 12-7 win at Athletic Park. The win puts the Chucks one game out of first in the second half of the season, with a 9-5 record.

College softball: The Wausau Ignite split a six-game series with the Mankato Habaneros, winning three straight home games before dropping three road games. The Ignite are 12 games out of first, and just shy of .500 ball with a 14-15 record.

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