Long vacant Navy Reserve site highlighted during debate over fire department future

The future of the old Navy Reserve site in La Crosse is not in as much doubt as some may believe.

City council member Paul Medinger represents the area on Green Bay St. that has remained vacant since the Reserve was torn down in 2008.

He believes the city is as close as it has ever been to getting the land developed.

Medinger dismissed questions about the future of the site during recent debate over the future of the fire department and where new fire stations would go.

“Right now, I think, as long as that lands sits vacant, there’s going to be speculation about what can be done with it,” Medinger said. “Right now, I think that’s all it is. Speculation.”

Medinger says the plan for the land continues to be a “pocket” neighborhood concept with single-family homes. He says a development agreement is in place for the site but details have not been released.

“I’ve been on the council now, going on seven years, and this is something I’ve been wanting to see done the whole time,” Medinger said.

Years ago, city planners identified a “pocket” neighborhood of single-family homes as the best use for the Navy Reserve site and Medinger believes there’s no going back from that concept.

“Any other ideas for that site, other than single-family homes, I don’t think you can pull the rug out from what’s already moving forward now,” he said.