Downtown Refresh FAQs
Find the answer to your questions about every phase of the Downtown Wausau revitalization projects.
A five-story building with 154 urban apartments, ranging from micro-units to three-bedroom units. There will be underground parking, green space in the courtyard and co-working spaces for tenants. Approximately 17,500 square feet of retail and commercial spaces are included in the plans.
Downtown housing currently is in demand. This complex will be a magnetic place for young professionals and others who want to live downtown with nearby restaurants, shopping, special events, entertainment and other walkable amenities. It also offers retail space to shop owners wanting to be positioned in the heart of the city.
Wausau Opportunity Zone, Inc. (WOZ) owns the development site and is collaborating with experienced developers to create housing, retail and commercial opportunities for the community.
Click here to learn more about Wausau Opportunity Zone, Inc.
T. Wall Enterprises Mgt LLC is the developer for the Foundry on 3rd project.
The mall redevelopment zone is entirely in TIF District 12, as of April 2023 when the boundaries were amended.
Tax Increment Districts (TIDs) are designated areas that allow new tax increments created in the district to be used within the district to incentivize development. When a TID is created, baseline property values are frozen and the new increment subsequently generated is returned to specific projects and used for public infrastructure improvements in the area. Whether a project receives Tax Increment Financing (TIF) assistance is determined by a “but for” test. The “but for” test assesses whether the project could happen in the same location, in the same timeframe, or in the same scope “but for” TIF assistance.
TIF is not used to finance projects that could occur without assistance or projects that would not grow the tax base enough in the long term to justify its use. TIF is used to finance developments that would not otherwise occur, that increase the tax base. A large tax base helps everyone’s tax bills go down, so growth is key. TIF can encourage growth and is therefore a useful tool to grow the tax base while controlling increasing tax burdens.
TIF assistance is the primary tool to incentivize developments in Wisconsin. Wausau primarily uses reverse or pay-go TIF for qualifying developments, meaning that no up-front money is invested in the project. In these cases, the developer only receives TIF payments, generated by the project, after a project has started generating the new increment. Click here for more information.
The plans for the site include mixed use of market-rate apartments, restaurants, retail and specialty boutique businesses. Opportunities for office space will be available, too. Accompanying the development of new streets and buildings will be public green space and public marketplace.
The five-story, multi-use Foundry on 3rd apartment complex will have 153 apartments available for rent. The options include studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units. Some units are expected to be ready for occupancy before the 2025 holiday season. For information or to join the waitlist for an apartment, call 608-575-1018 or visit www.twallenterprises.com.
There will be approximately ten ground-level commercial units at the Foundry on 3rd. A pedestrian skywalk will connect the building to the parking ramp on Forest and Fifth Streets. For information about Foundry on 3rd commercial properties, email retail@twallenterprises.com.
The development will unfold in phases over several years. Sewer and temporary street construction were completed in August 2023, the HOM Furniture façade was completed in the summer of 2023, the Children’s Imaginarium opened in December of 2023 and the Foundry on 3rd broke ground in May of 2024 and is set to be ready for occupancy in 2026.
The mall area being redeveloped is 6. 5 acres. This does not include JC Penny which will be a 2.65 acre development. Of the 6.5 acres currently under development, approximately 2.6 acres was returned to the City of Wausau for street development (2nd Street, 3rd Street, and Jackson Street)
Parking ramps are easily accessible from the city streets and are clearly marked with signage. Enjoy 2 hours of free parking on any downtown street, parking lot or ramp. Click here to find the hours for ramps and lots by location or to see a downtown parking map.
The JC Penney building will remain standing for now because it sits atop an important and valued parking structure. The building serves as a protective barrier against the elements, too.