Fire & Rescue

Groundbreaking for La Crosse’s 1st new fire station in 50 years set for Monday

Published

2 years ago

April 10, 2022

The city of La Crosse is getting ready to build a new fire station, for the first time in more than 50 years.

A groundbreaking for a new Station No. 2 happens at 4 p.m. Monday on Farwell Street, near the UW-La Crosse campus. That new firehouse is designed to replace one located on Monitor Street.

The groundbreaking will be one of the last duties for outgoing Fire Chief Ken Gilliam, who recently announced his resignation to take a similar job in Arizona.

Gilliam talked about his five years in La Crosse and where the department is at recently on WIZM’s La Crosse Talk PM.

The city has also made plans for a station to take the place of the 80-year-old one now on Gillette Street, which is expected to be preserved as a historic building.

The newest fire stations now being used in La Crosse are on Market Street and on Losey Boulevard, both built in the 1960s.

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.