Business
Developer to give update on Kmart lot in La Crosse to city commission, a year after delay was granted
A year ago, Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions requested an extension to begin developing the old Kmart lot in La Crosse.
The development company will be presenting its plans to the city, beginning this week.
The plan had initially been to tear down the Kmart in the summer of 2021, and begin development, but Three Sixty told WIZM’s La Crosse Talk, doing so at that time would have made costs astronomical.
The city council granted Three Sixty’s request for an 18-month extension. That extension is up in six months. Three Sixty will be updating the city and, according to city council member Mac Kiel, also the neighborhood around Kmart, of its plans.
“It makes sense that people are getting antys because they were given that extension,” Kiel said. “And we understand that times can be tough. But there definitely has been communication there.”
La Crosse Talk airs weekdays at 6-9 a.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.
The old Kmart is in Kiel’s district. She was asked about the development during La Crosse Talk last Friday.
“There were some changes in their plan due to cost,” Kiel said. “I believe it was significant enough that they are going to have to possibly come back (to the city council) for some rezoning.”
At a 2:30 p.m. Monday, the Economic and Community Development Commission is scheduled to hear from Three Sixty on the Kmart development.
“The feel in the neighborhood that I’m getting is, obviously, they’re very impatient,” Kiel said. “We want something done with that. And waiting this long has been hard. I think their plan is great and it’s just really the neighbors are getting pretty frustrated.”
Kmart closed in 2017. Three Sixty’s plan to redevelopment was for a mixed use, business-residential project. The renamed the site Copper Rocks, as well.
That plan is designed to bring new business and housing to the lot where Kmart operated for more than 50 years.
