Prairie du Chien has been a great place to visit for a long time. History abounds there. Scenic beauty along the Mississippi River also is plentiful.
It’s likely to get just that much better over the next few years. Developer Gary Barto has proposed a 17,000 square foot convention complex in downtown Prairie. By the time the entire development would be done, you could be looking at a $10 million investment.
The tentative convention, hotel, apartment and condominium complex along South Main Street and Blackhawk Avenue would be completed in phases, according to City Planner Garth Frable.
The City Council recently accepted $205,000 in grants from the state Commerce Department and asked staff to move ahead with the project.
Prairie officials have been making some good moves for the past several years. They have done a great job in attracting and building those interested in historic re-enactments with the Rendezvous, one of the largest such gatherings in the country.
Villa Louis is one of the finest historic sites in Wisconsin. Feriole Island is well-maintained for various events.
The officials have been working on re-developing the downtown district, even before this latest development. In 2006, a study on retention and expansion of business in the area was conducted by the Prairie du Chien Industrial Development Corporation, the city and the state Department of Commerce. It provides guidelines on development in the area.
City officials and others also worked hard to get Cabela’s to put a mega-store on the outskirts of town. About a million people visit that store annually.
Officials and business people have worked closely with their peers across the river, in McGregor and Marquette, Iowa. They’ve taken a truly regional approach in attracting tourism along the river.
When the state decided not to keep the Wisconsin Welcome Center at the bridge coming from Iowa, the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce stepped in. Now, instead of promoting the entire state, the Welcome Center showcases what that specific region has to offer tourists. The Welcome Center will be fully staffed, and ready to go on May 15.
The proposed development downtown will take Prairie to a new level. The community already has 13 motels, but there is no facility large enough to handle a convention.
The new complex could actually help the existing motels and other businesses like retail stores and restaurants.
No hotel brand has been named yet for the proposed complex, but it likely will be along the lines of an AmericInn or Holiday Inn, officials said.
The new development in Prairie will make it one of the premier destination spots along the Mississippi. It is centrally located between the Dubuque and La Crosse areas. The development in Prairie need not hurt those two markets.
Instead, combined with Dubuque and La Crosse, Prairie could help the stretch of the river more effectively compete with other places in the Midwest for conventions and tourism.
Barto has gotten approval from the city to break ground for the development this spring. No long range schedule for completion of the full development has been released.
