“Copper Rocks” project for old Kmart site in La Crosse unveiled

The Kmart building, which has stood for more than 50 years in La Crosse, will be coming down soon — replaced by housing and business outlets. 

Neighbors of Kmart gathered at Central High School on Wednesday to look at renderings of the buildings planned at what will be called Copper Rocks. 

Gary Padesky represents that neighborhood on the La Crosse County Board. He said the plans are an improvement over the temporary U-Haul business that went in after Kmart closed in 2017.

“I know there was people pretty excited about not wanting to see (U-Haul) go in,” Padesky said. “But this is something that’ll serve what everybody kind of wanted to see, retail, housing.”

The Kmart opened at the corner of Losey Boulevard and State Road in 1965. The Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions development group wants to get something built on the lot before October. Otherwise, it will have to wait until spring of 2023 to start construction.

Jeremy Novak, development director at Three Sixty, says it will be a great site for commercial use and neighborhood housing.

“We’re really trying to make sure that the housing that’s here is middle-class housing, it’s affordable housing,” Novak said. “It’s not gonna be high-end luxury, it’s not gonna be low-income housing tax credit housing.”

Novak also spoke about the project earlier this week on La Crosse Talk PM.

The name Copper Rocks was one of about 60 proposals suggested for the project. Marvin Wanders from Three Sixty said it’s meant to describe the glow of the setting sun shining onto Grandad Bluff.