Buildings going down, roundabout going up at La Crosse intersection

Buildings cost $900,000 to be demolished

Boarded up duplexes, an old dry cleaner, a former restaurant that’s been used for storage for years.

All buildings at the corner of Seventh and Cass streets in downtown La Crosse that have dates with a wrecking ball.

And none soon enough, says city council member Audrey Kader, who’s sick of looking at the dilapidation, which has been approved for removal to make way for a roundabout at the intersection.

“Oh, it’s disgusting,” Kader said, “though technically it’s not in my district, we still have to look at it.”

Although, Kader says, those buildings looked that way even before the city paid about $900,000 for them, it’s money that will get reimbursed by the Wisconsin DOT. As will the $220,000 that the city council has just approved to demolish the buildings.