La Crosse Center trying to do too much?

Consultant says building needs narrower focus.

A consultant may have opened some eyes to the inefficiencies of the La Crosse Center.

Ahead of a $40-million renovation to the building, the city held two of four listening sessions Tuesday – two more public meetings are scheduled at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. today.

It was at one of these sessions that Florida convention consultant David O’neal told community leaders a narrower focus might be needed to keep the facility competitive.

“You have developed, probably, one of the most difficult buildings to operate because you’re trying to get three separate, distinct uses out of here that don’t necessarily compliment each other,” O’Neal said, adding that it’s hard to make the building work as a convention center, sports arena and concert hall.

He believes convention business should be the primary use for the building, when it comes to bringing in money.  

“Kenny Rogers comes here and he leaves town with a suitcase full of money,” O’Neal said of Rogers’ Dec. 2 Christmas Concert. “So, he takes money out of the box. But those convention delegates are leaving it in the box – they’re spending half of it at the hotels and about 30 percent of it at the restaurants.”

O’Neal did add that the Center would still need concerts to keep the building out of the red.