May 23–City staff got a first review Friday of plans for a $7 million hotel to be built at Second and Jay streets in downtown La Crosse

Weber Holdings revealed the property will be a Home2 Suites by Hilton, with 107 “extended stay”-style rooms that have kitchen areas. An online look at other Home2 Suites locations showed they often are placed in communities that have major medical centers; several rooms will be fully accessible for those with limited mobility or hearing.

The plans include a possible skywalk across Jay Street, though that might not be added until later, said Nick Weber, Weber Holdings vice-president.

The design should fit well with both Gundersen and Mayo Clinic health systems in La Crosse only a short distance from the downtown, Weber said. It is expected to cater as well to conventions at the nearby La Crosse Center.

The hotel will be built on what commonly was known as the “Hooter’s” lot, which the city agreed to sell to Weber Holdings for $750,000. The company hopes to break ground on the 1.2 acres as early as August and be open by May 2016, though that timeline ultimately will depend on Hilton, Weber told the Commercial/Multi-Family Design Review Committee.

Tim Acklin, city senior planner, had reservations about the more modern exterior design clashing with the historic look of the downtown business district. He showed ESG Architects other Home 2 Suites sites that incorporated more brick and pointed to the three Riverside Center buildings — built by Weber Holdings president Don Weber, also founder and CEO of Logistics Health Inc. — as a “perfect example” of new development that fits the desired style.

Nick Weber said after the meeting he was confident the design kinks could be worked out.

“It’s kind of just finding the balance on what’s acceptable to the city and what’s acceptable to Hilton,” he said.

Parking was the other major concern raised, considering the lot has 140 spaces, 125 reserved, and often serves as back-up parking for the La Crosse Center on weekends. Nick Weber said Weber Holdings is coordinating with the city and Kaplan Professional, which has most of the reserved stalls.

Other developments

Weber Holdings also had a final review on below-ground construction plans for Lot C, the 2.3-acre former county-owned parking lot between Vine and State streets and Third and Fourth streets slated to become a $68 million housing, retail and office complex.

The main questions centered on the filtration needed for a proposed underground cistern to retain storm water. Nick Weber said Weber Holdings will work with Yuri Nasonovs, an engineer with the city, to resolve the issue within the next week.

While the Lot C groundbreaking happened in late April, final plans for the buildings themselves are not expected to be submitted until July, said Cory Henschel, project manager for CD Smith Construction of Fond du lac.

In addition, the committee had a preliminary review of plans for the $10.6 million Aguilera apartment, retail and office development proposed to be built at Badger and 13th streets in the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus area. The five-level Aguilera will have 57 three-bedroom units designed to be student housing, along with four one-bedroom apartments for staff, according to developer Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions.

City staff still wanted to see the shared parking agreement with UW-L for Aguilera tenants, Acklin said. A final review is set for Friday.