Malls · Wisconsin
Wausau Center
Opened 1983. Closed 2021. Redevelopment, under construction in 2024.
Status nowUnder constructionextracted, unreviewed
documented
In 2024, construction began on the redevelopment project for the former mall.
What it becamehousing, office, retail, entertainment, parkextracted, unreviewed reported
Retrofit year2024extracted, unreviewed reported
Walkability13.0 of 20 · 15-minute 6 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNo · Opportunity ZoneOpenStreetMap, HUD
Ask who owns this Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this recordhttps://retrofitatlas.org/malls/wi/wausau-wausau-center/
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile24 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Former anchors
J. C. Penney
This site: J. C. Penney wikipedia · all sites with thisSears
This site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with thisYounkers
This site: Younkers wikipedia · all sites with thisFinance and pipeline
On Facebook
This site: …https://www.facebook.com/110526892419207 overture · all sites with thisRetrofit in the pipeline
This site: …under construction extraction · all sites with thisWebsite dead or redirecting
This site: …http://www.shopwausaucenter.com overture / http check · all sites with thisPlace
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)
This site: 6/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this200+ tax-credit housing units within 1 km
This site: 439 units in 7 properties hud-lihtc · all sites with thisBike network nearby
This site: 77 ways openstreetmap · all sites with thisCounty lost 10%+ of retail establishments since 2012
This site: -12% census-cbp · all sites with thisGrocery within 800 m
This site: 4 stores openstreetmap · all sites with thisHigh social vulnerability tract (SVI ≥ 0.75)
This site: 0.92 cdc-svi · all sites with thisLower-income tract (< $50k)
This site: $47,573 census-acs · all sites with thisNational Register place within 500 m
This site: First Universalist Church; Stewart, Hiram C., House nps-nrhp · all sites with thisOpportunity Zone
This site: 55073000100 hud-oz · all sites with thisRenter-majority tract
This site: 78% census-acs · all sites with thisTract income up 60%+ since 2013
This site: +120% census-acs · all sites with thisWalkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)
This site: …index 13.0 epa-walkability · all sites with thisStrategy
Redeveloped
This site: In 2024, construction began on the redevelopment project for the former mall. extraction · all sites with thisNew use
Entertainment and sports
This site: …de residential and retail areas, office space, restaurants, entertainment, and green spaces. extraction · all sites with thisHousing
This site: …for a multimillion-dollar redevelopment, which will include residential and retail areas, office space, restaurants, entertainment, extraction · all sites with thisOffice
This site: …velopment, which will include residential and retail areas, office space, restaurants, entertainment, and green spaces. extraction · all sites with thisPark and open space
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisRetail (continued)
This site: …on-dollar redevelopment, which will include residential and retail areas, office space, restaurants, entertainment, and green extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Under constructionextracted, unreviewed documentedIn 2024, construction began on the redevelopment project for the former mall. |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redevelopment, under constructionextracted, unreviewed documentedIt was planned for demolition sometime in 2021 to make way for a multimillion-dollar redevelopment, which will include residential and retail areas, office space, restaurants, entertainment, and green spaces. |
| New uses | housing, office, retail, entertainment, parkextracted, unreviewed reported |
| What is there now | In 2024, construction began on the redevelopment project for the former mall.extracted, unreviewed documentedIn 2024, construction began on the redevelopment project for the former mall. |
| Retrofit year | 2024extracted, unreviewed reported |
| Redeveloper | Wausau Opportunity Zone, Inc. (WOZ)extracted, unreviewed reported |
Planning
| Planning notes | It was planned for demolition sometime in 2021 to make way for a multimillion-dollar redevelopment, which will include residential and retail areas, office space, restaurants, entertainment, and green spaces.extracted, unreviewed reported |
|---|
Securitised debt and public filers
Filings (2001 to date) that name “Wausau Center” and “Wausau” (187 hits, first 100 sampled, 2 other filers such as tenants left out). No commercial-mortgage trust names this mall in the sample, which does not rule out a securitised loan. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.
| Kind | Filer | Filings | Dates | Forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public owner (strong) | CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES INC (CBL) | 98 | 2001-01-19 to 2026-03-03 | 8-K 70, 10-K 20, 10-Q 5, 8-K/A 2 |
| Public owner (strong) | CBL & ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP | 36 | 2013-11-06 to 2021-04-08 | 8-K 22, 10-K 9, 10-Q 5 |
As reported by the owner
Property tables from the owner's annual report (Form 10-K, Item 2) on EDGAR, one row per filing year. GLA, occupancy and anchors are the filer's own figures at that year end; “leased” counts signed leases, “occupied” counts open stores; ownership is the filer's share. Matched by name and place, unreviewed; the verbatim table row is in sec_facts.csv.
| Year end | Filer | Name in filing | GLA sq ft | Occupancy | Years | Share | Sales psf | Anchors listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | CBL & Associates Properties 10-K, 2017-03-01 | Wausau Center Wausau, WI match: exact | 423,774 in-line 150,574 | built 1983 / acquired 2001 / renovated 1999 | 100.0% | former JC Penney, former Sears, Younkers | ||
| 2009 | CBL & Associates Properties 10-K, 2010-02-22 | Wausau Center Wausau, WI match: exact | 423,309 in-line 150,109 | 89.0% leased | built 1983 / acquired 2001 / renovated 1999 | 100.0% | $253 | JC Penney, Sears, Younkers |
| 2006 | CBL & Associates Properties 10-K, 2007-03-01 | Wausau Center Wausau, WI match: exact | 427,867 in-line 154,667 | 97.0% leased | built 1983 / acquired 2001 / renovated 1999 | 100.0% | $271 | JC Penney, Sears, Younkers |
Site context
| Transit within 800 m | no rail station; 4 bus stops within 400 mOpenStreetMap |
|---|---|
| FEMA flood zone | X · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL |
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 26: ASPIRUS BUILDINGS, INC. SITE; BUSINESS SERVICE CENTER INC; CARLSON - THALER OIL COMPANY; CARQUEST; CITY OF WAUSAU PARKING RAMPEPA FRS |
| Census tract 55073000100 | 3,522 people, 5,290 per sq mi; median household income $47,573; median gross rent $950; 78% renters; 13.4% vacant units; 6.0% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 13.0 of 20; 152 intersections per sq mi; no transit stop within the EPA search radius; land-use mix 0.9; 20,128 jobs within 45 min by car; 37% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 6 of 6 daily needs: 4 grocers, 1 schools, 68 parks or playgrounds, 6 health, 18 civic, 31 food and drink; 77 cycleway segments, 843 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | yes, tract 55073000100 (rural)HUD |
| National Register places within 500 m | 5: First Universalist Church; Stewart, Hiram C., House; Wausau Club; Marchetti, Louis, HouseNPS |
| Housing permits, Marathon County (WI), 2024 | 192 units in 5+ unit buildings, 0 in 2–4, 216 single-family; 2023: 153 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.92; socioeconomic 0.92; housing and transport 0.83; 42% below 150% of poverty; 19% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Overture Maps | place Wausau Center Mall (shopping_mall, confidence 0.92, from Foursquare, Overture, Overture-signals); building footprint 9,759 m²Overture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Website and social | www.shopwausaucenter.com (down or redirecting, status 0); archived 2001–2026 (Wayback) · social: facebookOverture / Internet Archive |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 27,343 since 2015; 1,894 in the last 12 months (-18% vs the prior 12); peak 2021-04 with 785Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population +14% (3,079 → 3,522); median income +120% ($21,574 → $47,573); renters 67% → 78%; median home value +37% ($106,900 → $146,700)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively moderate overall (score 65.2); expected annual loss $1.4M; high: cold wave, lightning; community resilience relatively highFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | 7 LIHTC properties, 439 units: Riverview Towers (149 units); Island Place (127 units); East High Apts (54 units)HUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 7,264 jobs in 395 establishments; average annual pay $35,244; employment location quotient 1.05; employment -1.8% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2022 | 4,684 jobs; 229 in retail trade, 478 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 55073000100)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 42th income percentile as adults; 2.5% incarcerated at the 2010 count (742 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights |
| Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract) | not a low-access tract at 1 mile; 0% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 29.6%; median family income $45,385; 397 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | Wausau School District (PK-12); 4 public schools within 1 mile: Franklin Elementary; Grant Elementary; Lincoln Elementary; Wausau Area Virtual EducationNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 1,220 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 151 county-logged events: 75 thunderstorm wind, 58 hail, 12 tornado, 3 flood; $787,000 property damage reported; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 54403, 2026-09 | median list price $261,200 (-32.1% on the year); 31 active listings; median 53 days on market; 24% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 414 establishments (-12%); 7,991 jobs (-18%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $277,479 (+9% 1 yr, +42% 5 yr); typical rent $975/mo (+6% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| House price index, tract, 2022 | 227 (2000 = 100); +3.7% 1 yr, +40% 5 yr, +47% 10 yrFHFA |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 10,309 vehicles a day on STH 052E (principal arterial, 2 lanes); 632 trucks; 37 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Wausau Center opened in 1983 as an enclosed mall in downtown Wausau, Wisconsin. After losing its anchor stores—Younkers in 2018 and HOM Furniture as the sole remaining anchor in 2019—the mall closed permanently in 2021, and demolition began that year. Construction of a new mixed‑use redevelopment started in 2024.
Why. The record shows anchor store closures as the primary visible cause of the mall’s decline, leading to its closure and planned demolition. No explicit mention of debt, broader competition, or financing issues appears in the provided data.
Where it stands. As of 2024 the site is under construction, with Wausau Opportunity Zone, Inc. identified as the developer and CBL Properties noted as the owner (per Wikidata, undated).
For a planner
- Planned demolition in 2021 approved for a multimillion‑dollar mixed‑use redevelopment including housing, office, retail, entertainment, and green space.
- Developer is Wausau Opportunity Zone, Inc., indicating use of Opportunity Zone financing or incentives.
- Open questions include timing of completion, integration with downtown infrastructure, and any affordable‑housing requirements.
For a developer
- Developer: Wausau Opportunity Zone, Inc.; ownership noted as CBL Properties (undated).
- Entitlement status: demolition approved, construction underway (under construction) as of 2024.
- Site size, floodplain, transit access, and environmental constraints are not specified in the record.
- Market‑level tract data (e.g., demographics, income) are not provided.
What we do not know yet
- Exact site acreage or building footprint is not given in the record.
- Current ownership timeline and any liens or encumbrances on the property are unclear beyond the undated CBL Properties note.
- Environmental, flood‑plain, and transit‑access context layers are absent, so related risks are unknown.
- Financial details of the redevelopment (cost, funding sources, pre‑leasing) are not included.
- Some fields are marked as extraction and the record is flagged as ‘draft’ verification, indicating possible unreviewed model‑extracted data.
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- East Town Mall, Green Bay, WI · Malls · opened 1982; closed 2021; same strategy: redevelop
- Lakeshore Mall, Manitowoc, WI · Malls · opened 1979; closed 2018; same strategy: redevelop
- San Jacinto Mall, Baytown, TX · Malls · opened 1981; closed 2020; same strategy: redevelop
- Towne West Square, Wichita, KS · Malls · opened 1980; closed 2025; same strategy: redevelop
Elsewhere on the web
Pages with photos
- Wausau Center Mall - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025) tripadvisor.com
- 1848-wausau-center-mall-entrance commons.wikimedia.org
- Wausau Center Mall wausaudailyherald.com
- MallsCenters - US Shopping Malls & Stores mallscenters.com
- Wausau Center Mall Memories: Reflecting on Nearly Four Decades greaterwausau.org
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
- housing in the record
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1983Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Closed | 2021extracted, unreviewed |
| Original developer | Jacobs Visconsi & Jacobs Groupextracted, unreviewed documentedA referendum passed in 1979 to allow Richard E. Jacobs' Jacobs Visconsi & Jacobs Group to build the mall. |
| Anchors | Sears, Younkers, J. C. Penney, Prange's (later Younkers), HOM Furniture |
| Organisations in Wikidata (undated) | CBL Properties |
| County | Marathon County |
| Census division | 3 · East North Central |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, GLA. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Wausau Center was an enclosed shopping mall which opened in 1983 in downtown Wausau, Wisconsin. The last remaining anchor store was HOM Furniture, which still stands in a space that had previously been a Younkers. It was managed by Mid-America Real Estate Group.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1979 Referendum passed to allow Jacobs Visconsi & Jacobs Group to build the mall
- 1983 Opened (Wikidata)
- 1983 Mall opened
- 2003 Walgreens moved out
- 2006 Owners began renovation
- 2008 Food court expanded
- 2018 Younkers closed as last of three anchor stores
- 2019 HOM Furniture opened as sole anchor store
- 2020 Sold to Wausau Opportunity Zone, Inc.
- 2021 Mall closed permanently
- 2021 Demolition began
- 2024 Construction began on redevelopment
- 2026 Majority of redevelopment completed
Sources
- Wikipedia: Wausau Center · supports: after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year closed
17 quoted sentences
The mall closed permanently in April 2021.
A referendum passed in 1979 to allow Richard E. Jacobs' Jacobs Visconsi & Jacobs Group to build the mall.
In 2024, construction began on the redevelopment project for the former mall.
In 2024, construction began on the redevelopment project for the former mall.
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