La Crosse Center expansion ideas offered for public comment

Two new design plans for a La Crosse Center expansion by project architects were on display for the public Wednesday night.

The new proposals come four months after the city council and Mayor Tim Kabat turned down a plan that cost around $48 million and went into Riverside Park.

This time around, there are some rules.

“The parameters were to stay off the Pearl Street walkway, not go into the park and stay within the $42 million budget,” Center director Art Fahey said. “All these things are being accomplished by these new concepts that are being presented.”

As for those new plans, the west concept “goes to the edge of Riverside Park but does not go into the park,” Fahey said.

The north concept “basically rebuilds over the top of the existing north hall,” Fahey added.

The west concept would be slightly larger than the north plan.

Each is about half the size of the old plan that went into Riverside Park.

The La Crosse Center board is expected to endorse one of the plans next month and send the concept to the city council during its January meetings.