YMCA expansions in La Crosse and Onalaska set to open

Projects cost around $11 million

Come Monday, the YMCA expansions at both Onalaska and La Crosse will be open.

New wellness centers on the second floor in La Crosse, an expanded cycling studio and an added health-living center are just some of the changes. 

YMCA Wellness Director Lee Walraven says they have kept people up to date on the progress, but are excited to see people’s reactions when they first see the new rooms. 

That health-living center is part of a co-op between the La Crosse Y and Gundersen Health System, and something that should help physical therapy patients continue with their exercises.

“Folks are going to physical therapy, but that separation from going to therapy at a different facility, then continue afterwards, doing exercises and stuff like that,” Walraven said, “(we’re) just trying to bring that all into once space.”

At the Onalaska Y, there’s a brand new and large gymnastics facility, which Walraven says correlates to the program’s growth.

Total expansion costs were around $11 million.

“If we didn’t have our donors, if we didn’t have the buy in from the community, we wouldn’t be doing any of this work,” Walraven said.