WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Expect changes in Marathon County’s administrative infrastructure in 2023.
Administrator Lance Leonhard says the County is looking to vacate many of its properties along River Drive in downtown Wausau with the goal of consolidating its footprint. Something that’s been in the works for years, but was brought to the forefront as the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people work. “We learned a lot of things about how to work differently. More remote work, hybrid work; so we are continuing down that path.”
The effort will also work to bring more like-minded departments together under the same roof to increase efficiency for those that are working in an office setting. Leonhard says the social services and Veteran’s services departments will be moved from their current locations to near the Northcentral Health Care campus. “Co-located those campuses is better for the people we serve. We will also free up some buildings; the social services building on Thomas Street and the Veteran’s building on River Drive.”
Also in 2023 many of the meeting spaces and other offices along River Drive will also be relocated. Leonhard says he hopes that sometime in the next 18 months the county can then come up with a plan to vacate those offices altogether. “We certainly have been talking with the City of Wausau about River Drive and really looking at how can the county through, the buildings it has and through the property that is freed up through divestment, how can we further economic development throughout the county. The County Board has talked about that, and we have some more conversations to have, but I know the Board is really interested in what that future looks like.
“We should be in a position to allow that property to achieve a higher and best use for the community,” added Leonhard. “We can do [our] work in a different location and free that up for more potential private investment, or whatever direction the County Board wants to go.”
Leonhard would also like to see the county explore divesting itself of buildings along West Street in Wausau, though he adds that they haven’t found a suitable replacement for some of those facilities just yet.
Other topics Leonhard discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video- County budget for 2023 including highway work
9:10- Update to county and city I/T systems including new websites
13:00- Marathon Park and west side master plan
18:20- Effort to consolidate county buildings
