Stantec’s team of environmental scientists, urban planners, landscape architects, and civil, structural, and electrical engineers worked with the City of Wausau to create more than 2,200 feet of “RiverLife” public trail along their Wisconsin River shoreline—laying the groundwork for a new regional recreation, entertainment, commercial, and residential waterfront destination.
“Like many communities across America, reclaiming our urban waterfront is one of the best investments we can make for the future of the City of Wausau,” said Wausau Mayor Robert Mielke. “This national recognition from the American Public Works Association is just another milestone in our continued progress and betterment of our riverfront and our city.”
The riverfront development is the culmination of more than 30 years of dedication to land assembly and funding from the Wausau Mayors and Council, supported by their Steering Committee and generous donors. Stantec assisted with grant winning, master planning, brownfield pollution clean-up, all aspects of the site and trail design, and construction administration.
“Our team worked hard to understand our client’s goals, imagine new possibilities together, and successfully deliver an outstanding project,” said Eric Lembke, senior associate with Stantec. “Our imaginative landscape architecture, innovative engineering techniques, and close collaboration with the City helped bring this award to Wausau.”
Key design features of the riverfront development include a daylighted channel with lighted waterfall; a pedestrian “wishing bridge”; The Wharf that offers boat and kayak access to the river; and the Adirondack picnic plaza. The next phase will include a park with extensive play equipment, a restroom and concession building, a jumping jet fountain, a fitness area with outdoor exercise equipment and a challenge course.
This project previously won a National Brownfield Renewal Economic Impact Award, a Professional Design Merit Award from the Wisconsin Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects (WI-ASLA), and Public Works Project of the Year Award from the Wisconsin Chapter of the APWA.
About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That’s why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.
We care about the communities we serve—because they’re our communities too. This allows us to assess what’s needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what’s never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.
We’re designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.
Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.
