As I See It
Back to school talk in La Crosse with building projects from elementary to college
Hard to believe it’s almost Easter.
Seems like just yesterday it was January and we were hearing about new school construction in La Crosse, which was approved by voters in the fall.
One completely new school building is planned for the Hogan Administrative Center site, while State Road Elementary School will get additions and renovations.
Those projects are aimed at replacing the Emerson, Hintgen, and Spence elementary schools, which have been around for decades.
If you haven’t seen construction happen at those sites yet, it should happen any time now.
As for secondary education, Western Tech College in La Crosse is developing the Wanek Center of Innovation, which will be in a remodeled business education building.
At UW-La Crosse, they’re still waiting for Republicans to approve Phase II of the Prairie Springs Science Center getting the green light from the state Building Commission and the legislature.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers was on the UW-L campus a few weeks ago, checking out some of the buildings, and expressing hope for Prairie Springs to get moving. Interim UW System President and former GOP governor Tommy Thompson did the same thing a few years ago, talking about the dorm there leaking whenever it rains and needing to approve the project.
The first Prairie Springs building opened seven years ago, but UW-L has had a tough time getting the state to commit what went from about $80 million when it was first proposed to $180 million estimate two years ago for Phase II.
There appears to be strong support for the science center in the La Crosse community, but not so much by Republicans in Madison.
Maybe over the summer, we can get some movement on that project? What am I thinking, the Legislature doesn’t meet in the summer unless it has to.
You never know, this could be the summer that Prairie Springs gets a boost.
As I see it, I’m Brad Williams.
