LaCrosse store backers try to meet .09 fund rules

Officials from the Whitman County Rural Library District are working with members of the LaCrosse Community Pride on a long-term lease agreement to move the LaCrosse Branch library to the former LaCrosse Market building.

Peggy Bryan, business manager for the library district, said Tuesday the two sides were working out terms of a lease agreement.

“We’re both committed to finding a way to provide this service to the community of LaCrosse,” said Bryan. “We just have to find a way to make it happen.”

The library, as a public agency, was awarded $42,000 in economic development funding from Whitman County’s share of .09 dollars. The award was made March 22 by the Blue Ribbon Advisory Task Committee, a citizen panel charged with doling out the .09 funds.

The funding, which received final approval by county commissioners Monday, would be used to create a space for the library in the former LaCrosse Market building.

LaCrosse Community Pride also plans to provide space for a grocery and other commercial use in the building which they now own.

Alex McGregor and Judy Harder purchased the building last year and deeded it to Community Pride.

The .09 funding award came with a caveat.

Because the Community Pride owns the market building as a private non-profit and not a public agency, the $42,000 award to the library can not be used for overall renovation of the building.

Originally, County Prosecutor Denis Tracy advised the store group would have to either become a public agency or transfer the building to a public agency to use the funds for renovation.

Tracy later advised the group that funding could be granted to the library as long as money was used for only the library portion of the building renovation and the library signed a long-term lease.

Tracy determined that a lease would have to last as long as the improvements in order to satisfy the intent of the law. He said such a lease would have to last at least as long as 15 years, considering the plans put forth in the library’s grant application to the .09 panel.

Community Pride plans to remodel the store building to house a smaller grocery store, the library, a coffee shop and offices for a chiropractor or other businesses.

In total, the group estimates the project will cost $131,574.

LaCrosse has been without a full service grocery since February of 2009. Also Monday, commissioners gave the final approval for the other .09 recipients this year.

Uniontown Community Development Authority received $30,000 to expand its artist space and build a farming museum at the Dahmen Barn.

Rosalia received $30,000 to replace bricks on the outside of the town’s community center.