Wausau mall plan revealed only to a few

WAUSAU – A group of community members has been allowed inside the closed-door talks between city leaders and owners of the Wausau Center mall on a plan for future development at the downtown retail hub.

But the time for public disclosure and public input has not yet arrived, officials say.

Daily Herald Media requested the list of community members and the materials of a presentation they viewed when mall owner CBL & Associates Properties Inc. spoke to them in Wausau on Aug. 11.

The list includes leaders from Marathon County government and other local businesses and organizations. The city did not immediately release details on CBL’s plan, and City Attorney Anne Jacobson said that request is still under review.

Nor would city officials or some of those included in the talks reveal details of what has been discussed.

“It’s very difficult to do negotiations in a public arena,” said Mark Craig, general manager for Compass Properties and one of the community stakeholders privy to CBL’s proposal. “These discussions need to take place quietly to determine what can and can’t be done to reinvigorate the center.”

Craig used to manage the Wausau Center mall. He is among a group of 12 people tapped by the city for input on its future development.

“What we do, we need to do thoughtfully,” Craig said. “The end result of this is for the greater good.”

Many of the stakeholders come from groups that passed statements of support for reinvigorating the mall, including the Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce, Marathon County Board, Wausau River District, Central Wausau Progress and the Wausau City Council. The group includes County Administrator Brad Karger and Wausau River District Executive Director Elizabeth Field.

“The city has been very diligent in engaging the stakeholders and making sure they’re part of the process from the beginning,” said Wausau Economic Development Manager Christian Schock.

Schock said the group has been contributing input for at least a year, since before CBL’s current proposal. CBL submitted a plan to reinvigorate the mall in June. The details have not been shared publicly. Since then, the City Council authorized hiring a mall consultant to help in the process.

In May 2014 Wausau agreed to provide $755,000 for the mall in the form of a five-year rent waiver and a one-time payment of $375,000. CBL, in exchange, would have been required to fill the space formerly occupied by JC Penney and diversify tenants to more than just retail. But late last year CBL declined to sign that contract.

Meanwhile, the discussions have continued.

“Nothing’s been decided until the votes are taken, until the decisions are made in the public forum,” Schock said on Friday.

Schock said the city has been gathering information and trying to understand its options in closed-door sessions. He said there will be opportunities for the public to hear the details and weigh in. And those opportunities may come sooner rather than later.

“This process is moving very quickly,” Schock said. And that’s because now is a key time for the mall.

“I think the community understands that the mall has not been growing,” Schock said. “There’s opportunities to change that momentum, and it would be good to do that.”

Nora G. Hertel can be reached at 715-845-0665 or nora.hertel@gannettwisconsin.com. Find her on Twitter as @nghertel.

Outside stakeholders invited to Wausau Center mall meeting

• Aaron Kapellusch, Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce president and CEO

• Alfred Nakhla, Associated Bank vice president

• Brad Karger, Marathon County administrator

• Elizabeth Field, Wausau River District executive director

• Farzana Mitchell, CBL & Associates Properties Inc. vice president and chief financial officer

• Gary Freels, Alexander Properties, Inc. president and CEO

• Jeffrey Zriny, Marathon County Board supervisor

• Jim Warsaw, Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce and MCDEVCO economic development director

• Joseph Mella, Ruder Ware attorney

• Kurt Gibbs, Marathon County Board supervisor and chairman

• Linda Prehn, Prehn Cranberry Company owner

• Mark Craig, Compass Properties general manager