Local News
Turning sausage into apartments, Bakalars has groundbreaking
Renovation will cost over $5 million
The tornado-damaged shell of the old Bakalars sausage factory on South Avenue is going through major changes inside, as it is rebuilt into an apartment building.
The renovation is expected to cost over $5 million.
At the ground-breaking Tuesday, La Crosse mayor Tim Kabat said the Bakalars project has been on the drawing board for more than two years.
“We met back in November of 2013, and we talked about the challenge our city has with affordable housing,” Kabat said.
The city council voted late last year against demolishing the factory.
Gundersen executive Michael Richards says the new lofts will fit well into an improvement plan for areas south of downtown.
“One of the things that was identified in the plan that this was the southern gateway into, not only our Gundersen campus, but our historic downtown, as well,” Richards said.