Ambitious renovation planned for La Crosse County’s Hillview campus that includes daycare, housing homeless, senior care

A long-awaited renovation at a La Crosse nursing home complex could move ahead in the next few weeks.

The La Crosse County Board may vote in August on an ambitious renovation and expansion plan for the Hillview Health Care campus.

County administrator Jane Klekamp discussed the plan Monday on La Crosse Talk PM that would expand the facility into five uses:

• Day Center (daycare for both children and adults)
• Bridge housing for adults
• Senior care
• Community Based Residential Facilities (CBRF) — which is another form of senior care
• Crisis stabilization

La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk PM wherever you get your podcasts.

“It’s really going to be a nice opportunity to use that building in a way that has some meaning for that area,” Klekamp said.

The renovation estimate initially came in around $30 million, but the updated plan is to not completely remodel the senior care wing, which already exists.

That saves about $10 million and means the county won’t have to go to taxpayers for additional funding and instead can rely on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, reserve funding and the facility, which, Klekamp said, is self-sustaining.

The timeline, upon the board’s approval is between 18 and 24 months to complete.

“So the entire building will really be in great shape by the time we’re done with it,” Klekamp said, adding, “Well have this entirely, basically, new building that will last hopefully way longer than another 50 years. It will really be a a community area where, for example, if I’m a CNA that works at Hillview, I can drop off my child, if I want to.”

One interesting thing about the plan is the Intergenerational Day Center that would incorporate both children and seniors. The cafeteria would be converted for this purpose and have 60 places for children, as well as a day center for older adults — respite for caregivers and support for families.

A lot of the plan is still being discussed, including how exactly bridge housing would work for homeless people. The model right now calls for 10 private housing units with a priority on veterans.

“Whether it’s a longer term or shorter term, we’re still deciding,” Klekamp said. “But it could be anywhere from two years — up or down.

“So, trying to again help be part of the solution to the housing problem and, because the county would basically be taking care of all the remodeling, we’ll have to figure out sustainability and we think there is a way for it to be sustainable but we think it’s part of the solution.”

The CBRF would take over more of the senior care at Hillview, as it’s a model that’s being utilized more for long-term care. That wing would consist of 34 private rooms and helps meet a growing need for people with dementia.

Read or download the entire plan below: