In early 2024, Hillview — our long-term care campus on La Crosse’s South Side — was at a crossroads. Half of the nursing home sat empty. It had served our community well for decades, but it reflected an era when institutional care was the norm. Fast forward to today, and Hillview has been transformed.
This revitalization required a complex, $19.6 million project, funded with a mix of federal and local dollars. On May 5, anyone joining us for the ribbon cutting will see a campus that now includes a new 39-bed community residential facility, along with updated rooms and common spaces with a warm, home-like feel and supported by our dedicated long-term care team.
Soon, they’ll also hear the sounds of children at the new intergenerational center. Operated by the YWCA, the center will offer child care alongside integrated programming for older adults with early-stage dementia, giving caregivers much needed respite.
Another formerly vacant wing has become Park Lane Studios, a 10-unit apartment complex that opened in December and is now fully occupied. It provides stability for formerly homeless individuals, and we’re already seeing encouraging outcomes: residents who couldn’t pay rent when they moved in now mostly can, and a majority are working or enrolled in higher education.
Residents can stay for up to two years, and Park Lane Studios plays a key role in Pathways Home, our city-county homelessness response plan.
Two years ago, Pathways Home was brand new. Since then, we’ve built a coordinated homelessness response system that pairs housing with supportive services. More than 300 people have been housed through this system, and more than 90% remain housed. We know there is more work to do, but without Pathways Home, our community would be in a more difficult place, with a far less coordinated response.
Even as we’ve made substantial investments in Hillview, Pathways Home, and our infrastructure — we’ve invested $28 million to pave 22 miles of roads since 2024 — we’ve been careful stewards of taxpayer dollars. County debt has fallen by a quarter since 2024, and our tax rate is down as well.
At the same time, we’ve continued to modernize. In 2024, we launched our first strategic plan to guide county decision making with clear outcomes and reporting. We used federal incentives to install solar panels at several county properties, reducing both costs and emissions. And we are cautiously implementing AI tools to improve efficiency while keeping human judgment at the center.
I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together over the past two years and optimistic about what’s ahead. Improving our community for everyone remains the purpose that drives our work.