LaCrosse grocery backers seek $42,000 from port

Backers of a grocery store and marketplace in LaCrosse asked the Port of Whitman County this week for $42,000.

The $42,000 from the port would be used to help fund a $192,800 remodel of the building for the planned store and marketplace.

“We’ve got a solid project here that has the chance to revitalize our entire community,” Ed Casey, president of LaCrosse Community Pride, told the Gazette Tuesday. “It marries right up with the port’s goals of job creation.”

LaCrosse has a population of 313 and the store could see business from the surrounding small towns of Hooper, Hay, Washtucna, Bend and Winona.

Port commissioners received the proposal from Joe Poire, the agency’s executive director, in their regular meeting Monday.

Aim of the group is to return a grocery store to LaCrosse, which has been without since the LaCrosse Market shut down in 2009.

An economic analysis performed in 2009 by WSU researchers showed a grocery store could be profitable in LaCrosse, but operators could not repay start-up costs.

Commissioner John Love asked Poire what the port’s return would be from the investment.

“There is no return,” said Poire.

But Casey told the Gazette Tuesday the return of basic services, as well as the possible addition of as many as 15 jobs to the struggling town’s economy would provide returns beyond the port’s investment.

The group has yet to solidify a deal with a store operator, but Casey said they have several people who have expressed serious interest.

Members of the Community Pride group said the store would also increase foot traffic in LaCrosse, which could help other businesses.

Rene Hinderer, office manager for the LaCrosse Builders, a group which set up and runs a retirement center there, said several of their elderly tenants have moved out since the grocery store closed.

“Maybe economic development for us in some of these smaller towns is going to be saving jobs, so people don’t move out,” said Commissioner Don Cox.

Port commissioners worried that helping directly fund the LaCrosse project would lead to a line of other requests from other communities within the county.

“If we go to each one and open the door to each one, it could really open up a Pandora’s Box,” said Commissioner Dan Boone.

Cox agreed.

“There’s some fear, on my part, that we could get something started that we don’t have a fair way to say to the next person that this isn’t a function of the port,” said Cox.

But Love said he was impressed by the business experience of the 11-member board Community Pride.

Poire said he deemed the project worthy of funding because of the financial commitments already made by members of the community.

“In 16 years, we’ve been invited into something with this much private capital into it maybe three or four times,” said Poire. “We haven’t had anything like this that had any private backing.”

Since forming last year, the group has raised $96,854 in grants, donations and fundraisers. It has spent more than $30,000 to fix the store roof and foundation, and has projects to fix the ceiling and insulate the building currently out for bids.

In 2010, the market building was deeded to LaCrosse Community Pride after it was purchased by Judy Harder and Alex McGregor. Along with the grocery, the group plans to put a library branch and several office spaces inside the building.

A Seattle chiropractor has committed to practice in a space inside the building at least weekly once the project is built.

The library earlier this year received a $40,000 grant from the county’s .09 fund to remodel space in the store for a library. The LaCrosse branch library is now located in city hall.

Port commissioniers decided to take up the topic again at their next meeting, June 20.