Village makes plans to build retail center

Marathon City would rent building to entrepreneur

A redevelopment authority supported by the Village of Marathon City has requested bids to build a retail center at the 400 Block on Main Street, according to administrator Andy Kurtz. The administrator said the village board voted after a closed session meeting in July 2020 to have Marathon Technical Services, an engineering firm in Wausau, both design and go out for bids on a 125 by 223 foot building.

A request for bids was published in

The Record-Review last week.

Kurtz said the redevelopment authority, if negotiations prove successful, will borrow money for the building, hire a contractor to construct the structure and then lease the building to a retailer.

He said that Tax Incremental Finance monies will not be used to finance the retail development–a block-long building offering a grocery store, hardware store and pharmacy–and the village board has said no tax money will be used to subsidize the project.

“There will be no tax impact for the project,” Kurtz said.

Kurtz said he is negotiating a “very complex deal” where the village would build a store for the retailer, but not take on risk should the retailer decide to quit operating the center’s stores. He said the village might ask the retailer for a “guaranteed lease” or some sort of performance bond.

“There is risk involved in any venture,” he said. “This is the most effective way to get to end of job, while protecting the interests of the village.”

Kurtz said bids for the Marathon retail building are due by Thursday, March 4. He predicted a bid opening within a day or two after this deadline.

The administrator said the bids would determine what kind of lease the village would offer the retailer in their ongoing negotiations.

Kurtz said any final deal would be made public before the Marathon City Village Board and redevelopment authority would finally vote on the project.

He said the village board was engaged in these complicated development plans because returning a grocery store to Marathon City was such a high priority for the community.