Domino Bar in Wausau could become homeless shelter

An east-side tavern that closed months after an ownership change could become a warming shelter for homeless residents in Wausau if a request for taxpayer funding is approved, according to city documents.

Catholic Charities Diocese of La Crosse, Inc. is requesting a Wausau Community Development grant of $200,000 to purchase and renovate Domino Bar, 740 Washington St., Wausau. According to a July 30 letter from Catholic Charities Executive Director Roberto Partarrieu, the Diocese would buy the property for $580,000 and spend about $400,000 to transform the space into an overnight facility.

Catholic Charities runs a warming shelter at Community Partners Campus, 360 Grand Ave., which opened in 2023 and houses multiple nonprofit organizations that assist low-income and homeless residents. The Campus was meant to be a “one stop shop” to match residents with necessary services, and includes a food bank and warehouse.

Now, Catholic Charities says their space at Community Partners Campus is no longer adequate to shelter the growing number of homeless residents in the Wausau area.

The Domino, which has a decades-long history in Wausau, was sold last July to a new owner, Brett Milbradt, who performed extensive renovations at the establishment. The changes were not well received.

The bar has been on the market for months.

The new owners did not submit required paperwork to continue holding a liquor license after its current license expired June 30, City Council President Lisa Rasmussen told Wausau Pilot. The owner had a July 1 deadline to reopen the bar, which has been largely closed since November.

In June, Milbradt asked the city for 60 to 90 days to allow for a potential sale to go through. Committee members balked at that request, and Alder Rasmussen told Milbradt that licenses are not property and do not automatically transfer to a new owner.

Now, the city will determine whether to spend taxpayer dollars to assist Catholic Charities in its plan. According to Partarrieu’s letter to the city, the organization plans to house homeless residents overnight from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily, “subject to funding.” During the day, staff would use the space for case management and administrative offices. Housing counseling, financial counseling and additional services would be provided from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and by appointment on Friday.

Renovation plans incorporate six staff offices, showers and laundry services. A meal and breakfast would be provided for shelter guests.

The request comes at a time when city officials are grappling with how to address the growing number of homeless residents in the area. In August, Marathon County’s Health and Human Services Committee directed the county administrator to work with Wausau and form a joint task force on homelessness. During several recent meetings, some Wausau alders said that the county must be part of any solution to homelessness, which is not solely the city’s challenge.

While discussions on how to manage the growing homeless population has been ongoing for years, the matter took on new urgency in recent months in light of a June 28 U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that cities can prohibit people from people sleeping outdoors, such as in parks and a city’s parking ramps. The decision said the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment banning cruel and unusual punishment was not applicable even when cities do not offer alternative places to sleep.

According to the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, over 400 people live without permanent housing in the Wausau area.

In its 2023 report about community discussion on homelessness, the research organization said the actual number of unhoused people might be higher. “It is not known how many additional homeless individuals live in Marathon County beyond Wausau because there are no means to count them,” the report said.

The request from Catholic Charities is on the agenda for a Citizens Advisory Committee meeting set for 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29 at City Hall, 407 Grant St., Wausau. Click here for the full packet.