Downtown might need more parking…the goal in 1982

In early 1982, La Crosse city leaders agreed to try buying the west side of the 100 block of North 3rd Street.  That’s where First Bank had planned to put up an office tower, but the bank ended up switching its site to the west half of that block.  The city eventually built the Main Street parking ramp on the east half…including space for John’s Bar.  La Crosse was in the process of removing parking meters from downtown streets, as an incentive to keep shoppers from all going out to Valley View Mall.  

A referendum on the future of the La Crosse Country Club was being scheduled for that April.  Some city residents wanted the country club property between Losey Boulevard and the bluffs to be turned into a public recreation site.  It would be the second country club referendum in the city in seven years…and a city takeover was rejected by a margin of just 217 votes.  

Area restaurants were advertising Valentine’s Day specials…including the Ground Round on Rose Street, later the site of Edwardo’s, and the Onalaska Country Kitchen at Center 90.  Rocky Rococo was promoting heart-shaped pizza for the holiday.  Rocky had two area locations…on campus at Campbell Road, and on Rose Street near Bridgeview Plaza, in 1982…37 years ago, yesterday in La Crosse.