Old Goosetown Park could become site of new fire station

A new potential site for a La Crosse fire station is being discussed by city leaders, on the fringe of the UW-L campus. 

The proposed site would be Goosetown Park, off La Crosse Street near the Coate Hall dorm. 

City park director Jay Odegaard says the city doesn’t need that parcel any more, arguing that there’s not much room for recreation and it costs too much money to mow.      

Fire chief Ken Gilliam says a station on La Crosse Street could eventually replace the lower north side station on Monitor Street, but nothing would happen on the project until 2023 at the earliest.

The small park is the last remaining part of what used to be the Forest Avenue parkway, a tree-lined diagonal boulevard connecting La Crosse Street and West Avenue.  The Forest Park high rise was built on part of that parkway.     

In other park business, the St. Patrick’s Day Run-Walk in La Crosse is ready to make a comeback this year in a new location. 

The annual March fundraiser for the Hunger Task Force, organized by 95.7 The Rock, is highlighted by a .01 K run, roughly 32 feet. 

The event was called off at the last minute in 2020, when the pandemic began to lead to mass cancellations. 

The city park department has approved a plan to move the event from its usual site on Pearl Street to the north end of Riverside Park, to allow for social distancing.  The run-walk is scheduled for Saturday, March 13th.