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Home / History

HISTORY

Embracing the future, honoring the past

The River Point District neighborhood perfectly blends progressive thinking with reverence for the past. It honors La Crosse’s legacy as a booming river town, yet strives to support the city’s identity as a forward-thinking, integrated community of regional and international influence.

A site significant to La Crosse’s past, present and future

The River Point District neighborhood brings unlimited possibilities to a site rich in history. Revered by Native Americans for millennia, the site has always been abundant in native flora and fauna. The arrival of European settlers brought more trade and eventually transformed the point into a booming hub for river and rail commerce (logging especially).

Throughout the twentieth century, the land housed a variety of industrial endeavors. In the mid-1990s, the city of La Crosse renewed its efforts to reclaim the injured property and improve its use and position within the community. The creation of River Point District effectively restores economic viability and environmental sustainability to one of La Crosse’s most important geographical areas.

Land and history worth protecting

The River Point District shoreline overlooks the shipwreck site of the War Eagle, a Civil War era, sidewheel riverboat that sank in flames into the Black River in 1870. River Point District is also near the historical Peavey Site (named after the multi-purpose peavey logging tool), which housed a small number of artifacts pre-dating the settlement of La Crosse. River Point District will honor and help preserve both historical sites as well as the integrity of the overall area.

War Eagle

Careful preparation to create remarkable results

The City of La Crosse has been working toward creating the River Point District neighborhood since 1995, when it began buying parcels of land for development within the larger overall site. Throughout the following years, the Redevelopment Authority of the City of La Crosse has acquired and remediated the three primary former industrial properties within the project area and raised the site a minimum of two feet above the 100-year flood plain elevation.

Additional noteworthy milestones in the progress of the River Point District neighborhood include:

Fall 2014
Week-long charrette (master site planning process) completed using the National Charrette Institute’s NCI Charrette System™ and LEED ND® planning process

Spring 2016
Requests for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) document released to development companies and investors

November 2016
Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) document distributed to master developers

January 2017
Requests for Proposal (RFP) document distributed to master developers

February 2017
Amended RFP document distributed to master developers

May 2018
WiRED Properties, LLC, selected as master developer during a special Redevelopment Authority meeting

The City of La Crosse is currently expanding and refining infrastructure throughout the River Point District neighborhood site and working with developers and investors to inspire project interest and commitments.

Riverpoint District
Featured
March 9, 2021

F Street Development Group has joined the redevelopment of River Point District

Milwaukee, WI – As of February 23, 2021, F Street Development Group (FSDG) has entered into a Planning Option Agreement with the Redevelopment Authority of La Crosse (RDA) to develop a parcel in their recently envisioned River Point District. River Point District is a forward-thinking vision for a vibrant, contemporary, mixed-use waterfront neighborhood in La […]
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News

River Point District conceptual rendering
November 19, 2020

New 65-acre waterfront neighborhood offers financial incentives for investors and developers

LA CROSSE, Wis., November 19, 2020 – River Point District offers investors and developers several financial incentives and growth opportunities. Located just north of historic downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin, this emerging neighborhood lies on 65 acres of waterfront land at the confluence of the Mississippi, Black and La Crosse Rivers. River Point District seeks investors […]
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River Point District Arial
May 22, 2020

City of La Crosse Redevelopment Authority approves proposal for work to begin on River Point District

LA CROSSE, Wis., May 21, 2020 – The City of La Crosse Redevelopment Authority (RDA) has approved a proposal by engineering firm Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH) for work to begin on the River Point District neighborhood. Work will be done on the mixed-use waterfront neighborhood in a phased approach with phase 1 including the placement […]
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River Point District Rendering
December 19, 2019

Waterfront neighborhood development project on track with master plan and new brand

The River Point District neighborhood (formerly known as Riverside North), located just north of historic downtown La Crosse, continues its development into a sustainable, mixed-use waterfront neighborhood.
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June 3, 2019

Riverside North development charrette overview

Get session highlights and attendee insights from the 7-day Riverside North project charrette.
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La Crosse, Wisconsin USA
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Andrea Trane
Director of Planning, Development and Assessment
608-789-8321
[email protected]
Tim Acklin, AICP
Senior Planner - Heritage Preservation
608-789-7391
[email protected]
La Crosse, Wisconsin Mississippi river
The City of La Crosse
400 La Crosse Street, La Crosse, WI 54601
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