La Crosse Receiving Grant to Help Redevelop Former Fish Lab Building

Friday, August 26th, 2022 -- 8:00 AM

The City of La Crosse is receiving a $250,000 state grant to help redevelop the former fish lab building in Riverside Park into an event venue with an outdoor terrace and lodging units.

Rehabilitating this building will capitalize on its location in the bustling park while offering an attractive community gathering spot. The Community Development Investment Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation will support the development of Hatchery.

On the main level will be a space for community members and businesses to host small events such as pop-up shops, boutiques, art shows, weddings and fundraisers. The garage will become an outdoor patio with drink service, food trucks and views of the La Crosse and Mississippi rivers.

Upstairs, six lodging units will accommodate event guests and tourists alike. Tiffany Smith and Marty Walleser, owners of Hatchery LLC, stepped in and agreed to a 20-year lease with the City of La Crosse, allowing them to rehabilitate the building and open Hatchery.

Formerly a U.S. Fish Control Lab, which rescued and redistributed fish from overflowed areas of the Mississippi River, the building has fallen into disrepair while being mostly inaccessible in recent years.

Hatchery will honor the building’s storied history with a mural, wall photographs and reclaimed park fixtures, among other details. Overall, Hatchery will pay homage to the City’s past and present, serving as a cultural center in its prominent, Riverside Park location.

It will benefit La Crosse economically, as well, because the city leased the building instead of selling it. WEDC’s Community Development Investment Grant Program supports community development and redevelopment efforts, primarily in downtown areas.

The matching grants are awarded based on the ability of applicants to demonstrate the economic impact of the proposed project, including public and private partnership development, financial need, and use of sustainable downtown development practices.

From the program’s inception in 2013 through March 2022, WEDC has awarded nearly $34.8 million in CDI Grants to 166 communities for projects expected to generate more than $517 million in capital investments statewide.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.