VIDEO: A La Crosse fire station is now a historical landmark, which is throwing a wrench into the fire department’s redevelopment plans. First News at Nine’s Alex Loroff tells us what’s next for the oldest fire station in the city.
Fire Station No. 4 has been standing at the corner of Gillette and Liberty Streets since 1940.
It’s the oldest active fire station in La Crosse, but demolition and reconstruction plans put it at risk until a historic preservation group stepped in.
“It was back in late December, early January that we first heard that they were talking about demolishing Fire Station No. 4,” Preservation Alliance of La Crosse President Barbara Kooiman said. “We were looking at what option we had to at least slow down the process so that there could at least be a conversation.”
The Preservation Alliance nominated the station for a historic landmark designation through the City’s Heritage Preservation Commission.
The nomination was approved last week, causing the fire department to pause its plans.