The historic Ft. Crawford building in downtown Prairie du Chien has been vacant for decades. Now, even with businesses wanting to use the space, and many in the community that want to see the space used, everyone must wait a little longer – and hope.

The hang-up, right now, lies in the money. The cost to complete construction on Ft. Crawford is more than the market value of the property. Ft. Crawford will cost an additional $1.8 million to complete. The completed building will have a market value of $950,000 to $1 million. Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization (PDRI) Executive Director Rogeta Halvorson believes the difference between cost and value will make it very difficult to finance without the city’s help. “The project needs to be a public/private partnership if the City of Prairie du Chien is interested in having it completed,” says Halvorson.

PDRI, developer Mark Ihm, and the city’s hope of completing the building may lie in the Main Street Hope VI Grant – a grant PDRI applied for last year for the same project. The 2008 application did not receive the grant award, but PDRI is optimistic their grant request would be awarded this time around. Halvorson says, “The application must make a strong case for the needed gap financing as well as the historical rehabilitation of the property. The Ft. Crawford is a good candidate for this grant because it is a ’shovel ready’ project.”

If the “Hope VI” grant is awarded, the developer would be required to use the proceeds to develop and offer low-to-moderate income housing. This would mean that the completed building would operate much like many other downtown buildings, with commercial space on the first floor and rental units upstairs. The original plans for the building desired to use the upper space as a hotel. The grant is offered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Beyond the commercial aspirations for the building, preservation of a historical downtown building is of great importance to PDRI. “One major focus today is the historical renovation of the Ft. Crawford Hotel, which has been vacant since the 1980s,” says Halvorson, “and the result will be new retail businesses, expanded tax base, and increased tourism to spur the growth of our local economy.”

After receiving support for the Hope VI Grant from the City Council, the application will be filed this fall. Notice of the award will be given in the Spring of 2010.

There are three potential businesses interested in occupying the 1st floor of the Ft. Crawford building. Until the financing is secured, that floor will remain empty.