Marine office building sale up for La Crosse council vote on Thursday

Members of the La Crosse city council have said yes to buying a north-side building, but no to rezoning it for housing.

Those votes came in separate committee meetings last week, and the full council meets Thursday night to make decisions on the future of the Marine Credit Union on Monitor Street.

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds said plans for affordable housing in that building will depend a lot on whether the council spends $2.2 million for it.

Then, a private contractor could be brought in to convert the building, and possibly build on the adjoining parking lot.

Reynolds spoke about the plan earlier this week on WIZM’s La Crosse Talk PM.

The plan to purchase the former Marine Credit Union building on Monitor Street was unanimously approved last week by the council’s Finance and Personnel Committee. Earlier, however, the Judiciary and Administration Committee voted 5-2 against a zoning change to allow housing in that area.

Reynolds said the council will have to say yes to both plans for the housing project to move ahead.

The October city council meeting (agenda here) begins at 6 p.m. at La Crosse City Hall.