City needs to decide future of La Crosse Center

Why is it taking so long? The director of the La Crosse Center is stepping down in just one month. But the city still hasn’t hired someone to replace him. In fact, it doesn’t seem to know if it will hire someone to replace him or hire a private agency to manage the La Crosse Center. This seems to be cutting it rather close. The city has known for months that Art Fahey will retire in October after 22 years as Center director. Our former mayor announced his impending retirement more than a year ago, before Fahey even made it official. So, it’s not like the city was caught off guard by his decision. But the city can’t seem to make up its mind how the Center should be run. It has talked about hiring a private company to manage the Center, much like the city’s Forest Hills golf course is run. At a meeting earlier this week the Center Board discussed appointing a committee to study their options. That should have been done months ago. At this pace it seems impossible someone or some group will be chosen to replace Fahey before his last day on the job. That means that after taxpayers pumped $42 million into the Center’s renovation, it could be a ship without a captain. City Hall needs to make up its mind on the future of the La Crosse Center and find someone to fill Fahey’s big shoes, so the ship doesn’t run aground.