The Wisconsin Woodchucks baseball organization has completed back-to-back years of multi-million dollar expansions, but they’re not done yet: the next one could move its front offices to near the ballpark at Athletic Park.
B.C. Kowalski/City Pages
Wisconsin Woodchucks owner Mark Macdonald could move his offices closer to Athletic Park.
Mark Macdonald, owner of the Woodchucks, bought two vacant buildings near Athletic Park: the former Coaches and former Marathon Label locations. Athletic Park, on the city’s near northeast side, is the home field for the baseball club.
Macdonald says the Woodchucks organization has growth—doubling its full-time staff and increasing its number of summer workers and interns—means they’re running out of space. The Woodchucks are also running out of storage for equipment. The expansion could pave the way for an expanded clubhouse for visiting teams.
The organization currently is managed at its office inside the Third Street Lifestyle Center, commonly known as the Washington Square, in downtown Wausau.
As part of the project, Macdonald is asking for up to $95,000 in tax incentives, says Wausau’s Interim Community Development Director Christian Schock. Under the agreement, Macdonald would guarantee at least $1 million in construction value, which will significantly add to the tax base of the properties.
“Already the park is a signature element of our landscape,” says Alderman Tom Neal said, who supported the deal. “It’s a big part of the character of that neighborhood.”
The Wisconsin Woodchucks and Athletic Park will host the 2017 Northwoods League All-Star Game next year, and the expansion would provide added facilities for the event.
