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Just around the river bendFeatured news
The River Report
A monthly update on what’s happening in Wausau’s River District
July 2015wausauriverdistrict.com 715.845.1328 316 Scott Street
Second Avenue construction update:
The Second Avenue construction is still in the de-
sign and bidding process with no date yet set for con-
struction to begin. The city is still moving forward with
planning. We will continue to update as the process
moves forward.
Mall update:
The Wausau Center Mall is in the process of part-
nering with the city to work on reinvigorating the mall
as a retail center. No official plans have been released,
but the city is in the process of hiring a consultant to
assist in reinvigorating the mall.
400 Block update:
Inappropriate behavior stemming from drinking
seems to have quieted down a lot since our 6/1 neigh-
borhood meeting. Public Health and Safety Committee
decided to take low-cost measures first, and the non-
emergency police number was distributed to River
District business owners.
Currently the best way to deter problems is to re-
port any inappropriate behavior to the Wausau police
by calling the non-emergency number (715-261-7798)
as the problem is happening.
Openings:
J. Gumbo’s Cajun and Creole is expected to open
the week of July 20. Stop by and welcome them to the
River District!
New businesses:
A new store called Violet Loft will be opening in
420 N. Third Street, the former Hazel Home location.
Violet Loft is a refurbished furniture store and Chalk
Paint retailer. They offer workshops to those unfamil-
iar with working with Chalk Paint. Violet Loft will be
their second location. Their first is called The Violet
Trunk which is located in Minocqua. Violet Loft will
have a different personality to it with a more boho/
urban feel than The Violet Trunk, but owners say to
expect the same charm and quality!
Events:
Brooklyn Taste will be holding a ribbon cutting
ceremony on Thursday, July 16 at 4 p.m. to celebrate
their new outdoor seating.
Wausau Events is having a date night Screen on the
Green on Friday, July 24 at 8:30 p.m. on the 400 Block.
The movie being shown is Hitch. Stop on by with your
significant other after work!
Greetings River District businesses,
Congratulations on a successful Sidewalk
Sales weekend! We are very happy to hear
how well the weekend went for everyone!
We’re so thrilled to hear that many business-
es had record breaking days. Thank you all
for the excitement and hard work you put
into the weekend. It was one to remember!
We are also extremely grateful for your
feedback and suggestions to continue to bet-
ter the event next year!

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We’re here for you
Don’t forget about all of the resources we offer:
- Free design assistance
- Free small business counseling
- Property improvement grants
- Marketing and promotional tools
- Real estate assistance
- Crime prevention tools
- Sign maintenance grants: We still have grant money
available this year for signage! Several applications
have already been submitted, so if you are interested
and have not yet submitted one please do so as soon as
possible. Also please remember to submit your appli-
cation during or before the design process.
August Meetings:
We welcome your input! You can attend any of our
committee meetings at the River District office on 316
Scott Street:
Organization - Tuesday, August 11 at 8 a.m.
Promotion - Wednesday, August 19 at 8 a.m.
Design - Thursday, August 20 at 12 p.m.
Economic Development - Wednesday, Aug 26 at 7:30
Always
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First Thursdays Don’t Let Your Social Media Take the
Summer Off!
We have partnered with the Wausau EGL Academy
to make social media interns available to any River
District businesses that may need some help with the
upkeep of social media or would like a private training
session. If you are interested in learning more, contact
Elizabeth for more information.
We would also like to host another group social me-
dia training before the summer ends. Carolyn Dyr-
dahl from Marketing Connection will be leading the
training. We will be emailing you a list of topics that
she teaches in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for
that email. If you have any topics or questions that you
would like addressed, please let us know!
First Thursdays continues to grow! July’s Terrific
Transportation was another success. From riding
Segways and listening to local live music to grabbing
a Ride the River ticket for spectacular discounts and
stopping for a cold drink or ice cream cone, we saw the
Wausau community interacting with downtown busi-
nesses in a way we never have before!
a.m.
The next First Thursday is “Dog Days of Summer”
on August 6! The current plans we have are:
- Adoptable pets will be brought in from local animal
shelters
- A dog tag discount: If attendees bring a donation for
the Humane Society or if they show interest in adopt-
ing a pet they will receive a dog tag that will give them
additional discounts at participating businesses.
- A doll, stuffed pet and balloon animal parade: A a
small parade will take place around the 400 Block at 6
p.m. for any children who would like to show off their
doll, stuffed pet or animal balloon.
- Nothing makes people take another look quite like a
furry face staring back at you! Send us a picture and
short bio (name, age, breed, cute quirks, etc.) of your
pet to highlight on social media to promote Dog
Days of Summer. It’s another way to get your custom-
ers excited about First Thursdays!
- We are discouraging attendees from bringing their
dogs downtown!
If you have any thoughts or questions about the next
First Thursday, please contact Elly Sebastian at
firstthursdayswausau@gmail.com.