Powerhouse spared, reinvented for the future

Cheryl Hentz

Contributor

October 12, 2026

WAUSAU – Built in 1904, Wausau’s original powerhouse on Clarke Island – which supplied electricity for streetcars connecting Wausau to Rothschild and Schofield – had been sitting empty for 20 years and slated for demolition. 

However, Dave Eckmann, president/CEO of the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce, said a group of local visionaries who wanted to preserve the historic building not only saved and restored the powerhouse located at 201 Washington St., but reinvented it for the future.

“When the planners we were working with saw the building from the outside and peered in the windows to the inside, it was clear that we had to do what we could to save this building and not allow it to be torn down,” he said. 

Eckmann said when communities raze older buildings, they don’t just demolish infrastructure, they erase history. 

“Local folks here working with the corporate leadership at Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) said, ‘Let’s pump the brakes on this and not tear this down – the chamber has a plan for it,’” he said. “We worked over many months with WPS and their team to develop an approach where we would take a lease for the building.”

Eckmann said due to the nature of the building’s origins, the chamber cannot outright own the building.

“We can never own the building because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – better known as FERC – requires WPS to own it in perpetuity,” he said. “So, we have a long-term lease with WPS of 40 years (two 20-year leases).”

Saving the powerhouse started with a plan

Eckmann said the initiative to save the powerhouse stemmed from an economic development plan the chamber created in 2018 and delivered in March of 2019. 

He said the plan called for three action items: one being to reposition downtown Wausau to be more competitive and revitalize the area where the mall was.

“Now you see the Foundry on Third, the mall is gone and we’re reinventing the downtown,” he said. 

Action item two, he said, was to help Granite Peak and Rib Mountain become positioned more as a year-round outdoor recreation resource for the Greater Central Wisconsin region. 

“That is on track where you now have the mountain biking community that’s developing the trail system that will be extremely beautiful and will bring people who have that interest to the region,” he said.

Finally, action item three was to save the historic WPS powerhouse before it was torn down, he said – in that, after saving it, it was to be repositioned with some type of a center to help support innovation. 

Eckmann said the chamber and other interested parties began working with The Samuels Group to do the reinvention of the building, bringing forward a plan for the whole building – all 12,000 square feet across its four levels.

“It was a lot of money – we were looking at a $10-million investment for the whole building, so we stepped back and decided to break it into three phases,” he said. “We just finished Phase One, and that cost $1.5 million. We [undertook a capital campaign to raise funds]. Some of it came in cash, and some came in in-kind gifts.”

It’s rare that construction or reconstruction projects go completely as planned with no extra hurdles, Eckmann said, and the powerhouse was no different.

“The parking lot was in such disarray that we had to start all over; it had to be completely excavated [and that] wasn’t a cost that we were planning for, so we’re still raising money to help with that,” he said. “There were three layers of asphalt that were laid over previously since 1984. The other cost was that of petrochemicals. Asphalt is a petrochemical, and the war in Iran drove up the cost of petrochemicals. So, between those things, the price of the driveway increased astronomically and was one we did not plan for.”

Eckmann said the chamber hoped they’d be able to save enough from their contingency and so forth that they’d have the money to cover it, but such was not the case.  

The roof was another big financial challenge, he said.

The company that was subcontracted to put on new gutters and a new fascia, Eckmann said, observed that one of the old roofs had several holes in it.

“So we had to step back and decide to let it go until we hit Phase Two or to take care of it now,” he said. “We determined we’d take care of it now because it would only get worse and interior damage would occur. So, we had to replace roof decks. It’s more of a flat roof. The asphalt that’s in place now on the main buildings is really fresh; it’s only about a decade old and has about 30 years in front of it. But we had to fix the flat roof. That was another surprise.”

In addition to renovating the dilapidated structure, Eckmann said the chamber had to ensure the building’s capabilities were up to today’s standards, which included:

• New doors and windows by Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co., Inc.
• Two bathrooms
• ADA-approved lift for access to upper level
• Updated flooring
• New HVAC, electrical and IT infrastructure
• Furnishings, fixtures and equipment
• Business meeting center with A/V technology
• Deck overlooking the Wisconsin River
• New parking lot
• New roof decks on part of the building

Phase Two

On Sept. 24, Eckmann said the chamber hosted roughly 100 guests during a three-hour open house to show off phase one renovations and the building’s transformation into a 21st-century hub for entrepreneurs, industry leaders, students and changemakers.

“This is more than restoration – it’s reinvention,” he said, adding that if people or businesses wish to donate to the Powerhouse project, donations are still happily and gratefully accepted. 

“There are corporations now that are coming down here to see the preservation and the technology that is in the building,” he said. “That’s due to our partnership and collaboration with Northcentral Technical College. They made a significant gift and investment into the building because they can use this as a downtown campus, right on the Wisconsin River.”

Throughout the building, Eckmann said the chamber will use QR codes to tell the stories of historical figures, including the chamber’s first president, Mark Ewing. 

He said there are a variety of rooms in the Powerhouse building that are available for long-term rent, with most all under lease agreements already.

But he said it’s the Education and Events Center that is going to be their chief revenue generator – where people can rent a space for half days, full days or hourly, as well.

“Some people don’t need it for a half or full day – they may just need it for a couple of hours for a meeting,” he said. “I’ve got people who have already approached us about getting married up there, and they want to rent it for their wedding and a little reception. So, we’ll have hourly rates for those who need it for a shorter period of time.” 

Eckmann said interested parties should call the Wausau Chamber to learn more about the Powerhouse building rental. 

Meanwhile, he said Phase Two isn’t starting just yet, as they want to get Phase One up and fully running before jumping into the next round of renovations. 

Eckmann said he anticipates it being at least 18 months before they kick off the next phase, though they do have a plan for what it will look like.

“We want to have somewhat of a culinary center where we can do catering, so we’ll need a catering kitchen, and if the possibility exists to help establish food trucks here in the community, we’d like to do that because right now there’s not a fixed facility big enough to allow food trucks,” he said. “We don’t have the infrastructure, and that’s quite a possibility, at least to have a food truck. A culinary kitchen that will help the food truck [would be good]. Vendors will not have to cook and store their goods.”

Eckmann said he figures incorporating a culinary feature into the building makes sense, especially as they consider the possibility of hosting events like small weddings.

“A culinary aspect of things would be a good tie-in,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be a restaurant, per se, but it has to be a bona fide licensed food facility that meets all the criteria of the FDA and the USDA, as well as all local health ordinances.” 

For more information on the project and its further, forthcoming renovations, visit wausauchamber.com.