OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Redevelopment Authority Meeting - February 26, 2026: River Point District Updates, Lot Actions, and Unwind Proposal

Common Council & Committees — Thursday, February 26, 2026
BodyLa Crosse, Wisconsin
SessionCommon Council & Committees
DateThursday, February 26, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:25:43

Transcript — Verbatim
0:18

Good afternoon and welcome to the uh February meeting of the redevelopment authority of the city of La Crosse.

0:23

Welcome to those joining in person and those joining online.

0:26

We will get started with our agenda for this evening.

0:29

Uh we'll start with approval of our minutes and look for a motion uh and a second for approval.

0:38

Motion from uh Phil.

0:40

We have a second.

0:42

Second by Councilmember Jansen.

0:44

Any questions, comments on the January meeting minutes as presented.

0:48

Seeing none, all in favor of the motion, aye or thumbs up.

0:52

All opposed, same sign.

0:54

All right, motion carries, thank you.

0:56

Uh we'll start our agenda tonight with 26- uh 0185, the monthly update from the project manager for River Point District.

1:03

Uh turn over to Jason Gilman.

1:05

Uh Jason, welcome.

1:06

Floor is yours.

1:09

Thank you, Mr.

1:09

Chairman, and good evening, redevelopment authority.

1:12

Appreciate the opportunity to uh talk with you about the the previous month and some of the activities that have been going on.

1:20

Um we of course have been working on um the continued responses to the request for expressions of interest that we sent out last October.

1:29

So there's been coordination on lots one and two and 11 and 12, part of which you're um going to be looking at this evening on the agenda.

1:38

Um we uh continue to get interest from other entities too.

1:42

I've had conversation with uh MSP uh who built the Driftless project.

1:48

They finished their marketing uh report, and it was a very positive uh outcome that basically uh had them looking at additional real estate in River Point District.

2:00

So we're uh exploring that right now.

2:02

I've been in contact with Brian Woolsley from uh MSP.

2:06

Um in addition, um we've been doing some other uh work that's tangential to the development, which includes um Andrea and I have been coordinating with the Urban Land Institute on the spring meeting uh that we're going to be presenting at, uh, but they're also working on that renter economic stability program, uh, and we should be hearing back from them any day now.

2:30

I haven't heard back from them yet this week, but I expect to hear back from them this week if they'll provide matching funds to the community foundation grant to put that program together.

2:40

Um we also did a uh presentation to the uh Valley View Rotary Club and uh um I've got another one coming up for the chamber leadership group uh later this uh later in March.

2:55

Um and then uh we've got um continued engagement with the University of Wisconsin student that's studying health metrics and the health outcomes of River Point District.

3:06

I expect that I'll be meeting with uh her and the professor either the end of this week, tomorrow, or uh midweek next week.

3:15

And um one of the things that uh I told Andrea that I would do this year is engage uh B visions uh videography.

3:23

Uh that's Bailey Nelson uh down on Pearl Street.

3:27

Um so I've uh I had a sit-down meeting with him and uh I'll be working he'll be working as a subcontractor for me, but with the direction of Andrea uh under my contract.

3:40

So not I'm not gonna come and ask for more money from the RDA.

3:43

I'm just gonna have uh Bailey put together this videography piece.

3:47

And the purpose of that is really to highlight the activity in River Point District to look at both the interior and exterior.

3:55

Uh now that all the streetscaping is done to highlight that, but also to highlight those public health metrics that Lauren Steen and Jeremy Arney at University of Wisconsin LaCrosse are working on.

4:07

And that'll be a building block piece.

4:09

So in other words, they'll do the videography at this point in time, but as we've got you know three or four new projects starting in 26 and more in 27, he'll be able to modify that video piece as we go.

4:21

And that'll also be a valuable piece for us to present to the Urban Land Institute.

4:27

Um I'm also continuing the field calls from people that want to live in River Point District.

4:32

I had a conversation with a couple from South Carolina this morning that are looking at moving here because their daughter lives in Houston, Minnesota.

4:41

And uh they have a number of different um uh number of different uh contact people that I put in the RDA report on the very last page that they can reach out to so that they can decide you know which of the projects they'd like to move into.

4:57

And War Eagle, I understand is already one floor.

5:01

One floor was open to occupancy.

5:05

So we've got MSP, the driftless is open, of course, and now War Eagle is open, and Riky's uh project on lot eight, the Lofts uh will be uh ready for occupancy later later this year.

5:21

I think those are the main uh pieces that I wanted to bring up today.

5:25

Um there is one more thing just as a precursor to your consideration of lots one and two and eleven and twelve uh today.

5:33

Um I just wanted to note that the PDD, the Plan Development District Master Plan that shows lots 11 and 12, the waterfront lots, uh, had originally um showed an illustration that indicated uh single-story buildings with some parking fields.

5:53

Uh and in fact, lot 11, uh if you look at the original illustration in the PDD, it showed two single-story buildings separated by a surface parking lot.

6:02

Lot 12, which is the southernmost waterfront lot, showed about 50% of the built the site being occupied by a building and the other 50% remaining green space.

6:14

The whole intent of the PDD was to activate the site with uses that would be complementary to that parkway that's being planned by the City Parks Department.

6:25

So the idea that here we are today with a proposal to actually have two buildings on lot 11, uh, one that you know has a very uh active uh type of use uh for the parkway, and then even with the challenges on lot 12 with uh geotechnical, uh Raikey is still looking at whether or not they could possibly put a building on part of that lot.

6:49

Uh so it's really very it's sort of um somewhat surprisingly close to the original PDD illustration that was adopted.

6:59

Uh also wanted to just mention on lots one and two that when you look at the PDD language from uh north to south, um, the northern lots, which are the ones closest to Causeway, did anticipate lower densities.

7:15

So that was something that um fits very nicely with the the city's housing plan and the interest that the planning department has with missing middle housing.

7:24

And uh and I I've I also attended the uh Seven Rivers Alliance meeting uh yesterday or day before in La Crescent, Minnesota, and uh they had a couple housing experts from the area that have been looking at building affordable housing.

7:40

So I'm kind of getting a handle on you know what just what is missing middle housing, what is affordability, what are we able to build?

7:47

And to give you an idea, um habitat uh Kaya Fox uh did a 10-unit project of single family homes in Hillsboro.

7:57

Each of those homes uh are $300,000, uh, which you might say, well, that's quite a bit of money.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████████29%
Affordable Housing██████████████████18%
Economic Development██████████████14%
Food And Beverage███████████11%
Procedural██████6%
Fiscal Sustainability████4%
Parks and Recreation████4%
Transportation Safety████4%
Environmental Protection███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Redevelopment Authority Meeting - February 26, 2026

The Redevelopment Authority of La Crosse met on Thursday, February 26, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 5:25 PM in the Council Chambers. The meeting covered monthly project and financial updates, a property management agreement, and several actions related to the River Point District development, including lot divisions, sequencing changes, and option agreements. A developer presentation for Lots 1 and 2 was also received.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The January 2026 meeting minutes were approved by voice vote on a motion by Ostrem, seconded by Janssen.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made during the meeting.

Discussion Items

  • Monthly Update from Project Manager Jason Gilman (Item 26-0185):

    • Continued responses to the October 2025 RFEI for Lots 1 and 2 and coordination on Lots 11 and 12.
    • MSP (builder of Driftless project) expressed interest in additional real estate in River Point District.
    • Coordination with Urban Land Institute on spring meeting and renter economic stability program; matching funds from community foundation grant expected.
    • Presentation to Valley View Rotary Club; upcoming chamber leadership group presentation.
    • Engagement with UW-La Crosse student studying health metrics of the district.
    • Videography project with B Visions (Bailey Nelson) to highlight activity and public health metrics; funded within existing contract.
    • Field calls from potential residents; War Eagle building now open one floor to occupancy.
    • Clarification: The PDD Master Plan originally showed single-story buildings and surface parking on Lots 11 and 12; current proposals (two buildings on Lot 11, mixed-use) align with that intent.
    • Lots 1 and 2 (northern lots) anticipated for lower densities (missing middle housing) per PDD.
    • Discussion of solar energy coordination with Ethos Power, including proposal for solar installation between Lots 11/12 and parkway.
    • Response to concerns about landscaping: prairie/naturalized landscaping on undeveloped lots is intentional; annual ryegrass planted for wind erosion control; developers will manicure lots after purchase.
    • Year-end highlights: Two buildings (War Eagle and The Lofts) totaling 115 new housing units and ~$30 million investment; extensive public relations and outreach conducted.

  • Monthly Financial Update (Item 26-0211):

    • Presented by Andrea Train; no outstanding items, routine monthly report.

  • Property Management Agreement for 65-67 Kraft St. (Item 26-0230):

    • Agreement with Coldwell Banker River Valley (10% of rent) to manage two rental spaces: one occupied by Two Men and a Truck (lease through July 2026), the other by 360 (staying for a few months).
    • Property closing set for March 9, 2026.
    • Approved by voice vote on motion by Janssen, seconded by Henline.

  • Update from RyKey on Lot 9 (Item 26-0229):

    • Jason Schilling (RyKey Properties) reported architectural drawings nearly complete; acquiring bids; unit count, parking, and retail square footage unchanged.
    • Requested approval to prioritize Lot 11 construction ahead of Lot 9 to get units in ground sooner (12-month build vs. 20-24 months), create early market momentum, and reduce risk of retail vacancy.
    • Members noted the need to combine this request with action on Lot 11 (next item).
    • Staff (Jason Gilman) supported the sequencing change, noting it provides more financial leverage for RyKey.

  • Update on Lot 11 and Consideration of Redesign (Item 26-0227):

    • RyKey proposing to parcel off a section of Lot 11 for a restaurant (Cowboy Jack's).
    • Bill Albright (Cowboy Jack's) presented: restaurant in Altoona served 178,000 guests last year, employs 120 (50-60 full-time); proposed two-story building with outdoor seating, flex space, and views of river.
    • Parking needs: Ideally 120 stalls; the plan uses Lot 12 (over concrete monolith) and Outlot 9 (stormwater vault designed for parking) for parking.
    • Michael Golod (Altoona city administrator) spoke in support: Cowboy Jack's has been a good corporate neighbor with no issues from residential neighbors; outdoor entertainment conditioned to end by 10 PM.
    • Jason Gilman explained the concrete monolith under Lot 12 makes large-scale building infeasible; lighter structures or parking are more cost-effective.
    • Councilmember Janssen raised concern from a letter of opposition (Mr. Idie) about highest and best use; Gilman countered that the proposal (two buildings on Lot 11) closely matches original PDD illustration and creates activation.
    • Councilmember Julie Henline questioned the parking placement and asked for green space protection on Outlot 9.
    • Motion by Janssen to approve division of Lot 11 to accommodate Cowboy Jack's on the southern end and to prioritize Lot 11 construction over Lot 9. Motion carried 6-1 (Fimple opposed).

  • Planning Option Agreement for Lot 12 (Item 26-0228):

    • Proposed six-month option for RyKey to negotiate with Cowboy Jack's for parking and explore potential building on Lot 12.
    • Councilmember Fimple opposed, expressing concern that the gateway to the River Point District would become a paved parking lot on prime waterfront, contradicting the vision of a premier public space.
    • Staff (Andrea Train, Jason Gilman) noted the intent is to study developability; Gilman added that parking is needed for entertainment uses and suggested potential for solar canopies, public use during off-hours.
    • Motion by Ostrem, seconded by Janssen, to approve the option agreement. Motion carried 6-1 (Fimple opposed).

  • Response to RFEI for Lots 1 and 2 – Unwind Property Management (Item 26-0219):

    • Jacob Mooney (Unwind) presented updated plans: Lot 1 – 24 units (mix of two-story and three-story townhouses/row houses); Lot 2 – 46 units (primarily two-story, with possible three-story additions); total 70 units, $16-18.5 million investment.
    • Units designed as rentals with potential future owner-occupancy; rent target $1,800-$2,500.
    • Parking: One garage per unit plus tandem/overspill spaces.
    • Staff recommended direction to move forward, with formal option agreements to be brought next month.
    • Councilmember Ostrem asked for architectural variety; Janssen asked for density balanced with green space.
    • Motion by Ostrem, seconded by Sigman, to provide direction to proceed. Approved by voice vote.

Key Outcomes

  • Property Management Agreement for 65-67 Kraft St. Approved (voice vote).
  • Lot 11 Division and Schedule Change: Approved 6-1 (Fimple opposed). The division allows Cowboy Jack's restaurant on the southern portion; construction priority shifted from Lot 9 to Lot 11.
  • Planning Option Agreement for Lot 12: Approved 6-1 (Fimple opposed). Six-month option for RyKey to develop parking and study potential building.
  • Direction on Lots 1 and 2 (Unwind): Approved by voice vote; formal option agreements expected next month.
  • Next Steps: Staff to bring formal planning option agreements for Lots 1 and 2; RyKey to continue design and geotechnical work on Lots 11 and 12.
  • Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 5:25 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon and welcome to the uh February meeting of the redevelopment authority of the city of La Crosse. Welcome to those joining in person and those joining online. We will get started with our agenda for this evening. Uh we'll start with approval of our minutes and look for a motion uh and a second for approval. Motion from uh Phil. We have a second. Second by Councilmember Jansen. Any questions, comments on the January meeting minutes as presented. Seeing none, all in favor of the motion, aye or thumbs up. All opposed, same sign. All right, motion carries, thank you. Uh we'll start our agenda tonight with 26- uh 0185, the monthly update from the project manager for River Point District. Uh turn over to Jason Gilman. Uh Jason, welcome. Floor is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and good evening, redevelopment authority. Appreciate the opportunity to uh talk with you about the the previous month and some of the activities that have been going on. Um we of course have been working on um the continued responses to the request for expressions of interest that we sent out last October. So there's been coordination on lots one and two and 11 and 12, part of which you're um going to be looking at this evening on the agenda. Um we uh continue to get interest from other entities too. I've had conversation with uh MSP uh who built the Driftless project. They finished their marketing uh report, and it was a very positive uh outcome that basically uh had them looking at additional real estate in River Point District. So we're uh exploring that right now. I've been in contact with Brian Woolsley from uh MSP. Um in addition, um we've been doing some other uh work that's tangential to the development, which includes um Andrea and I have been coordinating with the Urban Land Institute on the spring meeting uh that we're going to be presenting at, uh, but they're also working on that renter economic stability program, uh, and we should be hearing back from them any day now. I haven't heard back from them yet this week, but I expect to hear back from them this week if they'll provide matching funds to the community foundation grant to put that program together. Um we also did a uh presentation to the uh Valley View Rotary Club and uh um I've got another one coming up for the chamber leadership group uh later this uh later in March. Um and then uh we've got um continued engagement with the University of Wisconsin student that's studying health metrics and the health outcomes of River Point District. I expect that I'll be meeting with uh her and the professor either the end of this week, tomorrow, or uh midweek next week. And um one of the things that uh I told Andrea that I would do this year is engage uh B visions uh videography. Uh that's Bailey Nelson uh down on Pearl Street. Um so I've uh I had a sit-down meeting with him and uh I'll be working he'll be working as a subcontractor for me, but with the direction of Andrea uh under my contract. So not I'm not gonna come and ask for more money from the RDA. I'm just gonna have uh Bailey put together this videography piece. And the purpose of that is really to highlight the activity in River Point District to look at both the interior and exterior. Uh now that all the streetscaping is done to highlight that, but also to highlight those public health metrics that Lauren Steen and Jeremy Arney at University of Wisconsin LaCrosse are working on. And that'll be a building block piece. So in other words, they'll do the videography at this point in time, but as we've got you know three or four new projects starting in 26 and more in 27, he'll be able to modify that video piece as we go. And that'll also be a valuable piece for us to present to the Urban Land Institute. Um I'm also continuing the field calls from people that want to live in River Point District. I had a conversation with a couple from South Carolina this morning that are looking at moving here because their daughter lives in Houston, Minnesota. And uh they have a number of different um uh number of different uh contact people that I put in the RDA report on the very last page that they can reach out to so that they can decide you know which of the projects they'd like to move into. And War Eagle, I understand is already one floor. One floor was open to occupancy. So we've got MSP, the driftless is open, of course, and now War Eagle is open, and Riky's uh project on lot eight, the Lofts uh will be uh ready for occupancy later later this year. I think those are the main uh pieces that I wanted to bring up today. Um there is one more thing just as a precursor to your consideration of lots one and two and eleven and twelve uh today. Um I just wanted to note that the PDD, the Plan Development District Master Plan that shows lots 11 and 12, the waterfront lots, uh, had originally um showed an illustration that indicated uh single-story buildings with some parking fields. Uh and in fact, lot 11, uh if you look at the original illustration in the PDD, it showed two single-story buildings separated by a surface parking lot.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com