Senior center purchase from city of La Crosse nearly complete

A north La Crosse community center for seniors will soon be owned by its committee members.

The Harry J. Olson Senior Center and city leaders are closing a deal for the city to sell the building to the center for $1.

Mayor Mitch Reynolds confirmed the sale a week ago on WIZM’s La Crosse Talk PM.

Center director Erin Goggin told La Crosse Talk that the organization will work on fixing the building while trying to avoid money problems.

“It needs a little of this, and a little of that, and we’re gonna work on that as we have the money,” Goggin said. “We are not going to go into debt. Debt is, you know, the devil.”

The Olson Center had been threatened with eviction by the city for years, until an agreement was reached.

The purchase agreement will end a long dispute over the center’s use of the building, and will permit the city to keep using it as a north-side polling place.

Meanwhile, a new monthly activity is beginning this week at Harry J. Olson. Wednesday is the first celebration of “Wednesday for Lunch.”

“It’s a no-cost event for those 50 and older,” Goggin said. “It’s just a way for the community to gather at Harry J. Olson and…see what’s going on.”

The lunch will happen the third Wednesday of each month, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.