Wausau Police Department. Image courtesy: WAOW TV
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Wausau Police Chief Matthew Barnes says he wasn’t in the market for a new Police Station anytime soon. Still, on Monday, he found himself standing before a gathering of Alders discussing that very possibility, convincing them to submit a formal proposal for one of the recently vacated UWSP at Wausau buildings.
“The first time [County Administrator Lance Leonhard] asked me about this I just kind of laughed at him,” Barnes told Alders. “I said no thank you.”
But later, he sent a group of Captains to tour the facility. They came back gushing with ideas on how to turn what is currently classroom and lab space into a fuctioning Police Station. “We see opportunity to repurpose classrooms, offices, and labs for different training that we need to do with our staff, as well as investigations. There is also tremendous opportunity to create space for community interaction and public engagement.”
He also noted that the department has maxed out its current space in several ways. Should the city authorize expanding the force beyond the current 81 officers, the new hires would not get their own lockers because both locker rooms are at capacity. Additionally, some spaces in the current building have been repurposed, such as a bathroom that’s now a drug testing area, and the department’s computer technician has an office that was once a closet.
It’s also about allowing the Fire Department to expand without the costs of building new. “Why would we be interested in moving when we like the house that we are in? Ultimately, it’s thinking about this community and my neighbor, [Fire] Chief Kopp,” added Barnes. “If this were to work out, and the numbers crunched out right, to not have to build a new [fire station] and use the infrastructure that already exists in our community, that seemed like an opportunity that you [Alders] would want to hear about.”
During Monday’s presentation, Barnes also noted that the department could lease space to another group to cover some or all of the building’s maintenance costs. One such group mentioned was the Wausau School District, which currently has millions in deferred maintenance on the Longfellow Administration Building.
Monday’s vote was 9-1 and only authorized the city to move forward with a proposal. Though Barnes recommended that the city set aside money for consulting and design fees, should the proposal be accepted by the county. That action would have to come from the Finance Committee and the full Council in August.
The idea remains in its very infancy, and several important details are unclear. Those include the costs to convert the UWSP building into a police station, and the cost to convert the current Police Station for the Fire Department’s needs.
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