Wausau Center

Wausau Center was an enclosed shopping mall which opened in 1983 in downtown Wausau, Wisconsin. The last remaining anchor store was HOM Furniture, which still stands in a space that had previously been a Younkers. There were two vacant anchor stores that were once JCPenney and Sears. It was managed by Mid-America Real Estate Group.

Wausau Center
Wausau Center Main Entrance
LocationWausau, Wisconsin
Coordinates44.9585°N 89.6281°W / 44.9585; -89.6281
AddressC-302 Wausau Center
Opening dateAugust 3, 1983
Closing dateApril 5, 2021
DeveloperJacobs Visconsi Jacobs
OwnerWausau Opportunity Zone, Inc.
No. of stores and services40+
No. of anchor tenants3 (1 open, 2 vacant)
Total retail floor area423,132 square feet (39,000 m2)
No. of floors1
Public transit accessMetro Ride

History

The downtown area of Wausau was blighted by many vacant buildings in the late 1970s. A referendum passed in 1979 to allow Richard E. Jacobs' Jacobs Visconsi & Jacobs Group to build the mall. Approximately 67 buildings were demolished to make way for the mall, which opened on August 3, 1983. To commemorate the opening, a five-day celebration was held.[1] Its original anchors were J. C. Penney, Sears, and Prange's (later Younkers).[2][3] Walgreens, an original tenant, moved out in 2003 relocating to central Bridge Street.[4]

In 2006, the mall owners began a renovation that included new seating areas and an improved mall entrance.[5] Two years later, the food court was expanded, using space vacated that same year by a McDonald's.[6]

The mall lost all three anchor stores between 2014 and 2018, with Younkers being the last of the three to close; in June 2019, HOM Furniture opened as the center's sole anchor store, having acquired the previously closed Younkers location.[7]

  • Artists rendition of proposed mall
    Artists rendition of proposed mall
  • Original Main Entrance
    Original Main Entrance
  • Original Mall Interior
    Original Mall Interior

Redevelopment

On February 4, 2020, the mall was sold to Wausau Opportunity Zone, Inc. (WOZ). The acquisition does not include HOM Furniture or the two parking ramps. It was planned for demolition sometime in 2021 to make way for a multimillion-dollar redevelopment, which will include residential and retail areas, office space, restaurants, entertainment, and green spaces.[8] The mall closed permanently in April 2021.[9] Demolition began on May 17, 2021. It took up to eight weeks for construction crews to remove the buildings and foundations, with HOM Furniture, the two parking ramps, and the JCPenney building remaining. The JCPenney building will temporarily remain in place due to its location above the west parking ramp but is planned to be removed later.[10][11]

References
  1. Blaschka, Shawn; Spialek, Anji; Williams, Sharon (2011). Haunted Wausau: The Ghostly History of Big Bull Falls. pp. 35–37. ISBN 9781609491109.
  2. "Recent downtown projects". Downtown Retail Development Opportunities, 1984. International Council of Shopping Centers: 72. 1984. ISBN 9780913598368.
  3. "Wausau, Wisconsin". Stores. National Retail Dry Goods Association: 41. 1984.
  4. Paulsen, David (16 July 2003). "Walgreens prepares for move". Wausau Daily Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  5. Sargent, Nick (27 April 2006). "Multimillion-dollar renovation planned for Wausau Center". Wausau Daily Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  6. "Wausau Center Mall To Renovate Food Court". WAOW. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  7. "Wausau Center Younkers to close". 31 January 2018.
  8. "Downtown Wausau Refresh".
  9. "Wausau Center Mall is now closed". 5 April 2021.
  10. Mankins, Sirena (2021-05-14). "Wausau Center mall demolition starts Monday, May 17". WAOW. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  11. "Director calls mall's razing 'new chapter' for downtown Wausau". 21 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
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