PetSmart update, Shopko demolition and more

Happy Tuesday and welcome to the Streetwise newsletter!

Did you miss the Chick-fil-A Tri-State Food Truck in Wisconsin Rapids last month? You have another chance to get your Chick-fil-A favorites from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at the South Wood County YMCA parking lot. You can also find the truck from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday at Fleet Farm in Stevens Point.

I recently connected with a PetSmart spokesperson who shared an updated timeline for its new Wisconsin Rapids store. The retailer is on track to open in January , although a specific timeline isn't final.

While PetSmart's plans to open in Wisconsin Rapids mark the fourth retailer opening in the former Shopko building in Wisconsin Rapids, the department store in Stevens Point is starting demolition . Crews have been working on the former Shopko in downtown Stevens Point for a few weeks, but they've mostly been working on the inside. Exterior demolition recently started, too. Mayor Mike Wiza told me the building's demolition will take a few weeks, and the city aims to have the building cleared out and the site cleaned up before school starts. Demolition will make way for redevelopment including a mix of housing, mixed-use, retail, transit and public space, along with road restructuring in the area.

Further down along Stevens Point's downtown, two local shops recently received $10,000 grants to make improvements and boost their businesses . Bound to Happen Books and PROCESS each received $10,000 from the Backing Small Businesses grant program through American Express and Main Street America.

If you're looking for your own bulldozer or paper machine, you have a chance to bid on paper mill equipment and machines Tuesday through Thursday. Capital Recovery Group, who purchased the idled portions of Billerud's paper mill in Wisconsin Rapids, is holding a second round of auctions Tuesday through Thursday online.

In Plover news, village leaders recently talked about two developments along Plover Road. Tommy's Express Car Wash has plans to build a 4,574-square-foot car wash at 1840 Plover Rd., between WoodTrust Bank and Mama Elda's. Tractor Supply Co. has plans to renovate a portion of the former Younkers in Plover to build a 29,636-square-foot store.

A couple of weeks ago, we asked readers in central Wisconsin who has the best french fries, in celebration of National French Fry Day July 12. I collected all of the responses across social media to share a roundup of the best french fries in the Wisconsin Rapids and Stevens Point areas. If you're curious about popular french fries in Marshfield and Wausau , I covered those communities, as well.

I also spent time in the last couple of weeks reporting on Marshfield Clinic Health System and Sanford Health after the two health systems announced their plans to combine , creating an integrated health system in the rural Midwest. Marshfield Clinic Health System serves communities throughout Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and Sanford Health serves communities in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. The partnership is expected to close by the end of the year, subject to regulatory processes and closing conditions. Both companies will remain separate and independent organizations until the deal is closed. When finalized, Sanford Health will serve as the parent company, headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Marshfield Clinic Health System will be a region within Sanford Health and will maintain regional leadership and its flagship campus in Marshfield.

I talked with Sanford Health President and CEO Bill Gassen and Marshfield Clinic Health System Interim CEO Dr. Brian Hoerneman ahead of the announcement to learn more about what that partnership means for patients and their shared efforts to provide health care in rural communities. Gassen will serve as president and CEO of the combined system, and Hoerneman will serve as president and CEO of the Marshfield Clinic Health System region.

After the initial announcement, I shared what we know and don't know yet about the plans . A colleague at the Argus Leader newspaper in Sioux Falls shared more background on Sanford Health . I also took a look back on reporting over the last few years on both Sanford Health and Marshfield Clinic Health System for a look at the latest moves from both organizations , including previous failed merger attempts.

If you have any questions or tips for future stories, send them my way at cshuda@gannett.com . If you’re interested in my colleagues’ or my coverage, please consider subscribing to the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune or the Stevens Point Journal.

Who is Streetwise?

I’m Caitlin Shuda, the Streetwise reporter for the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune and the Stevens Point Journal . If you’re interested in openings, closings, relocations, expansions and major developments, Streetwise has it covered.

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This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: PetSmart update, Shopko demolition and more