Downtown La Crosse getting the recognition it deserves

Way to go downtown La Crosse! The city’s downtown is shining brighter than ever before. And what a turnaround it has been. Like many city’s, La Crosse’s downtown was dying on the vine back in the 80’s when mall shopping became popular. Many stores were left vacant, some for years. Many downtown businesses survived, but these were lean times. Fast forward a couple of decades, and La Crosse’s downtown has become a shining jewel. And that hasn’t gone unnoticed. Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch was in town this week visiting new downtown developments as part of Wisconsin Main Street Day. She called downtown La Crosse one of her favorite Wisconsin downtowns. The turnaround hasn’t been easy. But through the work of DMI and other organizations, development of the downtown was encouraged. Now we have more reasons to come downtown than ever before. Nearly every storefront is occupied. We have plenty of bars of course, but also new restaurants and more retail than ever before. There is also more downtown housing, and more people are living and working in La Crosse’s downtown than ever before. But the work isn’t done. DMI is working with a consulting firm to find even more ways for people to enjoy downtown La Crosse. Kudos to those who have made it happen. As a company, Midwest Family Broadcasting is happy to call downtown La Crosse home. It really is a great place to be.