WAUSAU − The Wausau City Council approved the police chief, development director and other city staff and officials to begin exploring the possibility of making an offer to purchase part of the former University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Wausau campus.
Wausau Police Chief Matthew Barnes told the council, which met July 13 as a Committee of the Whole, that he had been approached three times about possibly purchasing some of the university buildings. The buildings, owned by Marathon County, will be vacant when UW-Stevens Point at Wausau classes move to Northcentral Technical College, Barnes said. Marathon County has requested proposals for buying the university campus buildings.
Barnes said the buildings being considered are between Stewart and Garfield avenues and could include North and South Hall, which had the majority of classrooms, the field house, dormitories and the art building. The Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin has put in a proposal for the big auditorium, he said.
Police Department happy in current location, but building at capacity
Barnes said the Wausau Police Department is happy in its current location and that he told people approaching him about moving to the university “no” twice before a captain in his department approached him with the idea. Barnes said he told his command team to do a tour of the facilities and bring back their impressions. The team came back and said the buildings are too large for the Wausau Police Department, but they had some exciting ideas about how the Police Department could use the space itself and create community spaces that would allow for more interaction with the public, Barnes said.
Although the Wausau Police Department is happy with its current location, the building is at capacity, Barnes said. The city currently has 81 officers. If the City Council ever approved hiring an 82nd officer, that officer wouldn’t have a locker because the lockers are filled. The department’s detectives are in offices smaller than a residential bathroom and the computer technician is working in a former closet, Barnes said.
The Wausau Police Department currently has two evidence storage facilities because one isn’t big enough to hold all of the vehicles and other large pieces of evidence that must be retained until the person convicted leaves prison, Barnes said. The university’s field house would make a large space for evidence that would allow one evidence storage facility in the same place as the Police Department.
Could current police department become city’s new fire station?
Barnes said the former UW-Stevens Point at Wausau campus buildings need to be looked at by professionals who can advise on the buildings’ conditions, the internal infrastructure and the cost of renovations.
The Wausau Fire Department has stated the need for a $28 million new fire station for the city. The cost of remodeling the current Wausau Police Department into a fire department also needs to be looked at for comparison. Barnes said city staff has looked at estimates for the appropriate studies and it would cost a maximum of $50,000.
Barnes said he spoke with Wausau Fire Chief Jeremy Kopp, who believes the current Wausau Police Department could be updated to make it work as a fire station. Barnes said he also talked with Wausau School District Superintendent Cale Bushman and the school district’s maintenance supervisor and they were very interested in the idea of renting part of the former UW-Stevens Point at Wausau campus from the city to use as administrative offices, Barnes said.
There are federal agencies who also would be willing to rent office space in a city-owned building, Barnes said. Portions of the building that houses classrooms would make ideal training areas that could be used by law enforcement agencies in the northern part of the state for regional training, Barnes said.
Deadline for submitting proposal to county is Aug. 24
Wausau City Development Director Randy Fifrick said going through the possibilities is exciting. If the City Council approves moving forward, staff would need to start work on drafting a proposal to submit to the county, he said. The county’s deadline for submitting proposals is Aug. 24.
District 10 Alderman Lou Larson asked if the city really needs another old building. He said the city has had the need for a new fleet facility building for several years. The current fleet facility building is 80 years old, he said. Larson said he wouldn’t support any new projects until that situation is resolved.
District 6 Alderwoman Kristin Slonski said she agreed that the potential of the project was exciting.
District 5 Alderman Andrew Wiskowski said he was in favor of exploring the project. He said he would like any exploration to include the possibility of selling city land.
The council approved preparing a proposal for the county and looking at the viability of the project.
Contact Karen Madden kmadden@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Wausau considers former university buildings for new police department
Reporting by Karen Madden, Wausau Daily Herald / Wausau Daily Herald
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By Karen Madden, Wausau Daily Herald | USA TODAY Network
