River view crucial to La Crosse Center addition design – La Crosse Tribune

Where it would go is up in the air. What it should look at is crystal clear the Mississippi River.

The La Crosse Center Board met with ISG/Gensler Architects on Wednesday afternoon to learn about early design concepts for the venues expansion that emerged from the visioning sessions with La Crosse residents and officials.

Although a specific concept was not chosen, board members stressed that any addition must capitalize on the river view to the west.

The two top things that were emphasizing is (needed) maintenance and ... having some type of additional space using the attribute of the west, Board Chairman Brent Smith said.

A close third was making the facility easier for patrons to navigate improving the buildings flow, he said. That, however, would appear to take a back seat to additions that could bring more revenue to the center, such as ballrooms, terraces and space for pre-event gathering.

Russell Gilchrist, a Gensler principal, presented eight raw design concepts, some of which he said were likely too fanciful but putting them on the table now would get them out of our system.

The concepts included second story additions on either the north, south or west sides. One concept was a west and south side addition. They all included ballrooms that ranged in size, including what could be one of the largest in Wisconsin.

Key to a decision down the line will be determining how much of the possible $42 million budget will be needed for necessary maintenance projects.

The Gensler team will return soon with estimates for those in coming weeks.

What we dont know at the moment is what part of our budget is going to go to kind of mending the roof and upgrading the air system, Gilchrist said. We dont know what we have left to be able to build the new pieces that generate the revenue.

This phase of the La Crosse Center project to settle on a concept will likely wrap up in about a month or so, Gilchrist said.

The boards goal is to begin construction next year and complete it by 2019, Smith said.

Concepts included the possibility of a west addition that extends over Front Street and has a terrace overlooking and with stair access to Riverside Park. A more modest idea had the addition going to the edge of the centers property.

Also floated was an addition to the north that either went as far as an overhang over the pathway that continues from Pearl Street to Riverside Park, or completely over it. It would not be designed to feel like a tunnel, however, Gilchrist said.

The materials and look of the addition was not part of this discussion. It focused on placement and amenities, such as a ballroom, offices, arena suites and terraces.

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River view crucial to La Crosse Center addition design - La Crosse Tribune