An Award Winning Downtown Area |
 |
In 2003, the City of Onalaska was awarded The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Planning Association's Award for Plan Implementation - Medium Jurisdiction, for work on implementing the Downtown Onalaska Redevelopment Plan. The City is dedicated to making the downtown area a vibrant center for commerce and tourism. Many of the key projects set out in the Downtown Onalaska Redevelopment Plan have been completed. Streetscaping projects have helped to transform Main Street into an attractive, friendly environment. The redevelopment of the City's municipal center has helped to establish a timeless architectural standard, while illustrating the City's dedication to the area. With the Police Department relocated to the new municipal center, the former site was redeveloped with Sue Kolve's Salon & Day Spa, which benefited from a creative development partnership with the City, resulting in the building's extraordinary architecture. These completed projects, along with some exciting planned projects and the overall vision for this area, have earned the City this prestigious award. |
|
Downtown Onalaska Redevelopment Plan Executive Summary
The Onalaska Downtown Redevelopment Plan is a long-range plan to revitalize downtown Onalaska. The focus of the plan is on the core blocks of Main Street from 2nd Avenue to 8th Avenue and 2nd Avenue from Oak Forest Drive to Locust Street.
|
The Onalaska Downtown Redevelopment Plan addresses the following key issues:
- Attracting private-sector investment in the central business district
- Stimulating specialty retail, services, and tourist-oriented business development on Main Street on 2nd Avenue
- Capitalizing on Onalaska's riverfront location and orienting new development toward the river
- Beautifying the downtown streetscape and riverfront area
- Preserving the natural resources and scenic vista's of the riverfront area
- Integrating the Great River Trail into the downtown business district and stimulating business development to serve trail users
|
|
The key findings and recommendations of the Onalaska Downtown Redevelopment Plan include:
- The demographic trends, access, and natural setting of downtown Onalaska are suitable for creating a prosperous "Main Street" specialty and service-oriented business district. The district should be "pedestrian-friendly" and should focus on providing interesting shops, restaurants, galleries, and entertainment that will draw both tourists and La Crosse-area residents to the district.
- The city should consider the blocks of Main Street between 8th Avenue and 2nd Avenue and the blocks on 2nd Avenue between Locust Street and Elm Street as the "core area" and should focus on concentrating enough businesses in this area to create a cohesive business district.
- While there has been some discussion of massive land clearance and creating an open environment, a preferred type of development in the downtown "core area" would include a combination of business development and limited high-quality open-space acquisitions at key locations that would provide vistas and focal points for the business district. This approach to redevelopment would both enhance the vitality of the area and create more tax base in the city.
- The city should focus on forming joint public-private partnerships with one or more qualified developers to foster downtown business development. This type of partnership is likely to include city assistance in making infrastructure improvements, providing adequate parking, and assembling and clearing building sites.
- The key downtown improvement projects addressed in the Downtown Onalaska Redevelopment Plan include:
- Main Street Streetscape Improvements
- Redevelopment of the Platz (Woolen Mill Site) and Skaff Properties
- Wiley and Wakeen/Harter Properties
- Police Department Site redevelopment
- City-Owned Garage and Shop Site Redevelopment
- Great River Trail Improvements and Routing
- Sias Isles Marina Improvements
- Wetland Conservancy Area Acquisition and Access Improvements
Local Financial Institutions have developed the Lender Commitment Program; a loan program offering favorable rates for downtown business improvement. Participants include:
- M&I Bank
- Wells Fargo
- Community Credit Union
- State Bank of La Crosse
- Associated Bank
- Coulee State Bank
- First Federal
- US Bank
|
Centering Onalaska - Tremendous Citizen Participation
Centering Onalaska is an independent, not for profit organization, which is made up of City resident and business representatives. The organization was founded in 1996 for the expressed purpose of organizing community members in a concentrated effort to revitalize the City's downtown area. The current mission of the organization is as follows:
Centering Onalaska, while established for the purpose of organizing community resources in a concentrated effort to revitalize Onalaska's Downtown, serves as a grassroots community organization to promote and expand involvement of citizens, businesses and organizations in planning and building overall community identification, spirit and pride.
Through this mission, Centering Onalaska has made significant contributions to the beautification of the City, and the downtown area in particular. Please visit the Centering Onalaska website (link below) for more information about this wonderful organization.
Please click here for a link to the Centering Onalaska website.
Onalaska Profile | Business Assistance | Available Site | City Maps
Downtown Redevelopment | Resources and Links | Contacts
Home
Copyright © 2004, City of Onalaska, Wisconsin
|
