Mayor vetoes $49 million La Crosse Center expansion plans

Maybe not all the way back to the drawing board but the expansion plans for the La Crosse Center have been put on hold for now by a mayoral veto.

La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat on Monday vetoed the expansion design and borrowing schemed approved by the city council on Thursday.

In a veto message issued, Kabat said he made the move because of the city council’s “lack of financial discipline” in approving additional borrowing to fund the controversial $49 million Center plan.

He also cited the expansion that juts “unnecessarily” into Riverside Park as a reason for his veto.

Kabat says the $49 million expansion design “lacks inspiration” and is a “big, plain, flat box.” 

He chided the council for suggesting the Center expansion would form some sort of legacy, saying they should be more concerned with doing their jobs than what it says on a commemorative plaque.  The most important part of that job: be “good stewards of this community’s resources.” 

Being good stewards, to Kabat, means the project’s $3 million architects coming up with a design that doesn’t hang over Riverside Park.  A park Kabat calls, the “region’s most loved.”

The city council will consider an override of Kabat’s veto at its regular meeting on July 12th.

The expansion plans were approved on a 7-4 vote on Thursday.  Council members will need a super majority of 9 votes to override.

Below is his entire veto letter.