Study produces hope for public market to come to La Crosse

Ever been to a Farmer’s Market on a weekend to get fresh produce?

Imagine a much bigger version.

A Public Market could be coming to the City of La Crosse after a study found the area could be a premier spot.

Economic development planner Andrea Schnick said the idea came from the public.

“I had been approached by several people,” Schnick said, “whether they were looking for a place in the city where entrepreneurs could flourish, you could try new ethnic foods, or where people from different parts of the city could come together.”

The city decided it needed an expert and went to Aaron Zartesky to look at La Crosse’s potential.

“The consultant we hired had worked on over 50 public markets all across the world,” Schnick said. “He looked at consumer spending habits, demographics. He felt like it would be a very strong market.”

Schnick says they’ll now be looking for a site and also developing what a business plan would look like.

If all goes well, the public market could be expected to open up within a couple of years.