City of Wausau Celebrates Groundbreaking of Westside Commons Development

Thursday, September 26th, 2024 -- 9:01 AM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) City leaders and officials with Gorman and Company gathered for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Westside Commons development.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, Gorman’s Wisconsin Market President Ted Matkom says the project has overcome a variety of challenges ranging from finding a way to fit a square building on a triangle property. The economic impacts of the last two years also proved difficult.

“We had a lot of headwinds including inflation and interest rates. Both of those made this project hard to finance.” Matkom says city leaders stepped up to help fill their gaps. He says without them, the project would have sunk a long time ago. “The staff and Council have always been pro affordable housing. We’ve always felt at home here.”

The complex will include multiple floor plans with rents ranging from just over $700 to $1,000. All units will include a washer and dryer and access to a community room and fitness center. The ceremony was held in a vacant lot across the street from the construction site.

The lot will eventually be paved over for visitor parking. Construction is expected to last 18 months. Move-ins could begin in January 2026, with a formal ribbon cutting later that summer.

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