City agrees to Lot C development deal
City Council members unanimously voted in favor of Lot C
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — City Council members unanimously voted in favor of Lot C at a meeting Monday. The decision came after Don Weber, the developer of the Lot C project, assured City Council members that the development would generate $33 million in taxable revenue.
Now that the city is on board, city money will fund additional parking near the proposed development. The city’s agreement is the final thing La Crosse county officials and members of Weber Holdings needed to move forward on the project.
The north side of La Crosse’s downtown will look different soon, thanks to multiple new building projects.
“It’s going to be a great development for downtown La Crosse,” Tara Johnson, the chair of La Crosse County Board of Supervisors, said.
On Tuesday La Crosse County is expected to sell the 2.3 acre Lot C to Webber Holdings for $1 million. That agreement will set off two other deal: the county will sell its administrative center to Stizo Development for $250,000 and then buy the current Associated Bank building on State Street for $4.6 million.
“We will have simultaneous closings,” Johnson said.
To kick off the projects Weber Holdings will start to develop on the lot as soon as the ground thaws.
“They will build a subterranean parking, the Associated Bank Building that will be an anchor to that development will be a part of that first phase and the housing development along State Street,” Johnson said.
The new Associated Bank location within the Lot C development is set to be completed by June 2016.
“While that is happening the county will actually start to inhabit some of the existing Associated Bank building,” Johnson said.
The old Associated Bank Building will be renovated and become the new county administrative building.
“We are all moving around at the same time,” Johnson said.
County officials hope to completely move in by December 2016 so Stizo Development can begin to convert the old administrative center into housing for Western Technical Students.
“They want to be able to welcome residents into student housing into that building by late summer 2017,” Johnson said.
County officials expect to have all of the downtown north side projects, including the Lot C development, completed by 2020.
