Altoona braces for more visitors

Friday, April 17, 2015
Andrew Dowd, Reporter, Leader-Telegram

ALTOONA - The Woodman's Food Market slated to open this fall will be large enough to cover the NFL-size football field and most of the seating in Green Bay's Lambeau Field, according to a comparison of the two structures that city leaders used to show the grocery store's size.

Altoona is preparing for the massive influx of traffic expected when the Janesville-based grocer opens its 240,000-square-foot store, which will be the area's largest grocery store, near the River Prairie Drive exit off U.S. 53.

"This certainly is going to change the market," City Administrator Mike Golat said.

Additional turning lanes and traffic signals will be added to River Prairie Drive this summer to handle the increased traffic expected when Woodman's opens in October and other businesses at the city's River Prairie development follow. The city also is adding a lane to three of the four exit ramps at the U.S. 53 interchange in the center of the development and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is assessing River Prairie's impact on highway traffic to consider improvements in the area.

Altoona officials spoke about recent and upcoming developments in the annual State of Altoona address to about 100 local business, government and education leaders gathered at Eau Claire Golf and Country Club, 828 Club View Lane.

Mayor Jack Blackburn led off the presentation by mentioning the numerous groundbreakings in Altoona in the past year.

"We've been keeping the ambassadors really busy," he said to the crowd of chamber members.

The city saw $40.4 million in new construction last year, including the $25 million OakLeaf Surgical Hospital. Several housing developments also are under way in the city, Golat noted, including Hillcrest Greens, which is the redevelopment of a former country club into family homes, senior housing, apartments and other types of houses with a park nearby.

"If you're looking for a home, we have places here," Golat said.

Looking toward this year's scheduled construction, there will be numerous buildings and roads built in the city's portion of River Prairie, which is on the north side of River Prairie Drive, west of U.S. 53 and bordered by the Eau Claire River.

Construction of a Kwik Trip convenience store, the Staybridge Suites extended-stay hotel and a new location for local wealth services firm Bernicke & Associates are planned this year at River Prairie. WESTConsin Credit Union also plans to build a branch at the Altoona development, which Golat said may be built this year or in 2016.

Plans for that section of River Prairie also show two future restaurants, more retail shops and mixed-use buildings with commercial space and housing.

Most of the new roads going into the city's portion of the River Prairie development will be paved this year, including an access road and canoe launch to the Eau Claire River. Future public amenities include recreational trails, outdoor performance venues, a four-season plaza built for activities in warm weather and winter, and creating a stream that winds through part of the development.

"Our hope is to complement what others are doing in the region," Golat said, referencing the area's growing music scene and redevelopment projects in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls.

Golat also mentioned that Grace Lutheran Foundation's new senior living complex worth an estimated $15 million is slated for construction beginning this spring on North Willson Drive.

Of all Altoona's accomplishments in 2014, Golat said the "best news" of the past year was voters approving a $23 million referendum to build a new elementary school and make improvements to the existing Altoona schools building.

"Without quality education, you don't get people to move to your community," he said.

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