The North Side Library is Now Surplus Property

Published on June 11, 2026

LA CROSSE, WI — The Mayor of La Crosse Shaundel Washington-Spivey announced this evening that the Common Council has declared the North Community Library as surplus property.

“I thank everyone who submitted their ideas and completed the Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) process. The City of La Crosse has duly considered all viable RFEI applications,” the Mayor said. The RFEI process began on March 10 and gathered community input for the future possibilities of the building.

With the Common Council voting in favor of Resolution 26-0555: Resolution declaring certain property at 1552 Kane St (parcel #17-10113-110) as surplus property, the Request for Proposals (RFP) process will soon begin. The Department of Planning and Development will draft the RFP and it will be presented at the June 24 Economic and Community Development Commission (ECDC) meeting.

If approved, the RFP will be released to the public shortly after. The RFP is a formalized process to receive proposals for the ECDC to evaluate and determine the proposal that is in the best interest of current and future residents. The Common Council holds final approval on the sale of the property.

The library will officially close on June 18. This decision came after years of low utilization of the North branch. While the Main Library, on average, sees almost 700 visitors per day, the North branch sees approximately 50.

“I encourage interested parties to continue along the process to repurpose this iconic building,” the Mayor shared. “I truly look forward to what’s to come to the North Side.”