Leveraging history to create community and financial value
Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation Award Winner
LOCATION
CLIENT
CONSTRUCTED
PROJECT DATE
PROJECT SCOPE
PROJECT BUDGET
PROJECT SIZE
Wausau, WI
MetroPlains
1923
2016-2017
Historical research, National Register of Historic Places nomination, guidance on historic tax credit certification
$6M
38,000 sq.ft.
The historic value of a pivotal regional business unlocks financial tools that result in new award-winning housing.
CHALLENGE
The Marathon Shoe Company East Side Plant was a vacant building owned by the City of Wausau that depended upon historic designation to finance a redevelopment and avoid demolition. Previous consultants had submitted numerous historic evaluations of significance applications and were unable to secure designation for the unassuming industrial building on Wausau’s riverfront.
SUCCESS
New History’s innovative and tenacious historic research uncovered new historical information that resulted in historic designation for the property. New History then supported the developer and design architect by identifying critical design issues and solutions for historic tax credit certification.