Historic Wausau Ballpark To Be Renovated

An historic baseball park near downtown Wausau is going to get a major renovation, along with the surrounding neighborhood.

Wausau’s Athletic Park, home of the Northwoods League’s Wisconsin Woodchucks, is getting a $2.7 million renovation, financed completely by team owner Mark Macdonald.

“Premium seating in the grandstand itself. The seats will now have backs and more leg room. There will be a concourse walk area across the top of the grandstand. Two new luxury suites and a press box.”

The old urban ballpark has been compared to Chicago’s Wrigley Field, surrounded by busy streets and neighborhood homes. Macdonald likes the comparison.

“We’re going to take the best aspects, the historic aspects of Athletic Park and build on them. It’s also interesting that it’s compared to Wrigley Field because the neighborhood around Wrigley Field has also been a challenge.”

How much of a challenge? Ann Chilles lives across the street from the park, where foul balls come flying over the brick wall on the third base side.

“Balls come over at least 95 miles per hour. We have had the garage windows, house windows broken. You’ve got to watch out walking out your back door, backing out your car!”

Chilles has lived there for forty years. She doesn’t plan to move, and she is happy the Woodchucks are not moving either: “The park is part of Wausau, but it does need renovation.”

Mark Macdonald will not only renovate the park – he will also help the city renovate the neighborhood. He is donating two parcels of land for a new playground, and there will be more parking to ease congestion.

“We know how important the Woodchucks are to the city of Wausau, and more importantly to that neighborhood. We didn’t want to move them out of there.”

The work on Athletic Park gets underway this fall.