Business

Mayo breaks ground for new La Crosse hospital

Published

3 years ago

April 12, 2022

Ground was broken Tuesday in La Crosse for a new hospital for Mayo Clinic Health System, said to be the biggest construction project in the healthcare giant’s history.

FILE: A rendering of the Mayo Clinic Health System expansion project for West Avenue in La Crosse. (PHOTO: Mayo)

The centerpiece of the $200 million project will be a six-floor hospital to open in 2024, on what is now a parking lot along West Avenue.

Mayo officials from La Crosse and Rochester led the groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday, along with La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds and representatives of the Franciscan Sisters and the Ho-Chunk Nation.

The president of the Mayo Health System, Dr. Prathibha Varkey, said the new 70-bed hospital will combine the shared dream of Mayo and the FSPA nuns, who founded the current La Crosse hospital over a century ago as St. Francis.

The new hospital will include new medical and surgical units, an intensive care unit and a new Family Birth Center, which will be on the top floor.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.