Center income $200K ahead of this time last year but board not happy with some design plans

The La Crosse Center says it is finishing the first half of 2019 in very good financial shape.

Center director Art Fahey said the building is almost $200,000 above the income level it had at this time last year — at $579,000 through the end of May.

The president of the center board, Brent Smith, said they can afford to put away some of that income for future rainy days, with a renovation project coming up.

Meanwhile, new designs for the $42 million Center expansion caused some controversy Tuesday.

Center board members were not happy that a proposed new ballroom would not have windows directly looking out onto the Mississippi River.

They asked designers to make changes.