Local News

La Crosse Center director surprised building naming rights could bring in millions

Published

6 years ago

March 21, 2018

It’s been known as the La Crosse Center for nearly 40 years.

That could change, as the Center board is about to study ideas for selling naming rights to rooms in the building and, perhaps, renaming the entire structure.

Center director Art Fahey admitted that he might have underestimated what naming rights could bring in, before now.

“I had been looking at, you know, a 10-year, $1 million-, to ($1.25 million-)type of agreement,” Fahey said. “But I’m seeing some things out there that are surpassing that.”

Fahey did say they would like to keep the name La Crosse on the building.

The latest proposal to offer naming rights comes as the Center looks for up to $7 million in new revenue to meet the projected budget for the, now, $49-million renovation.

The city of La Crosse and the state have combined for about $40 million but it’s not quite enough to meet the projected cost.

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.