Gundersen breaks ground on its new hotel Thursday

Project expected to be completed by July

For years, there’s been talk of building a hotel near Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, so families of hospital and clinic patients can stay.

Now, it’s actually going to happen, as the health giant and Premier Hotel Properties broke ground Thursday for the four-story complex on South St., on top of a former Gundersen parking lot.

The 65-room – with 16 extended-stay suites – project is estimated to be completed by July 2017. Along with the hotel, there will also be a 100-foot underground tunnel connecting the hotel to the Gundersen Founders building.

The hotel will offer a fitness center, free breakfast and even a small grocery store.