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WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Marathon County Highway Department will officially vacate its Wausau facility on West Street.
Supervisors have signed off on a $55 million project in Kronenwetter, consolidating the main facility and a satellite garage in Mosinee. Deputy Administrator for Public Works and Capital Projects Chris Holman says the current facility is no longer efficient, meaning important equipment has to sit outside. That may not seem like a big deal, but Wisconsin winters have a way of taking their toll on everything.
“Weather can really impact and degrade equipment over time,” said Holman. “It’ll protect the roughly $24 million in equipment the Highway Department uses by being able to move them inside. That’s a huge portion of the project itself, protecting that community investment.”
Holman says they’ve planned the building as a “generational” project, making sure the facility will serve the county for decades to come. “Our focus has been being cost-effective, including the life-cycle costs of the buildings and systems, to make sure that 50-year building [life] is something that is very achievable.”
Some of the buildings at the current site are 100 years old and were originally built to house animals, not heavy equipment. Holman notes that some of the oldest buildings still have concrete benches that were used for feeding.
The county has $30 million set aside for the project and expects to use revenue generated by North Central Health Care to help cover the rest. Administrator Lance Leonhard previously told WSAU News that the strategy involves shifting debt from NCHC onto the general debt levy, which will allow funds paid back to the county to be used specifically for the project.
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Holman and the rest of the county’s leadership team will spend the winter finalizing contract details. Construction is scheduled to begin next spring, wth a grand opening in the Summer of 2028.
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