Keil, others buy downtown Batavian Building

La Crosse Tribune, May 18, 2005 by Cahalan, Steve

With other investors, local developer Mike Keil bought another building this week, the historic Batavian Building at 319-321 Main St. in downtown La Crosse.

Last year, Keil acquired the Doerflinger building in downtown La Crosse from the city. Also in 2004, he and Marvin Wanders of Holmen, Wis., purchased the Holmen Square shopping center in Holmen.

Keil and Tom Bergamini of Madison, Wis., have owned the Jackson Plaza shopping center in La Crosse since 1999.

Keil and Brian Stehula, both of the town of Shelby; Dave Wise of Onalaska; and Wanders purchased the Batavian Building on Monday from Paul and Debora Kwiecinski of La Crosse for $460,000.

"It's just a great building," Keil said. "We heard Paul and Debora were thinking about selling it. It has so much potential."

Keil said his first priority is to sign a new retail tenant for the storefront at 321 Main St., which was occupied by Valley Ski and Bike until April 29, when it moved to a new location along Hwy. 16. "I expect a tenant to move in fairly soon," he said

The original five-story building at 319 Main St. was constructed in 1888 as the Batavian Bank, Paul Kwiecinski said. The addition at 321 Main St., where most of the bike shop was, was constructed as part of a remodeling project completed in 1959, according to La Crosse Tribune stories written at the time.

Keil said he wants to restore the original building's front facade to its pre-1959 appearance, which will require removing granite that was installed on the lower part of the building. He also wants to restore three huge two-story arched windows that were bricked in on the west side of the building.

Keil said he also is talking to prospects about leasing the first floor of the original building, part of which was occupied by the bike shop. Grinder's Deli occupied part of the first floor until it closed April 29. Keil would prefer to lease the first floor to a financial institution. His second choice would be a retail tenant.

Restoration of the front facade and the arched windows on the west side won't begin until there is a tenant for the first floor of the original building, Keil said. Offices are on the upper floors, and a few spaces are available, he said.

The Kwiecinskis said they bought the Batavian Building in 1993 because of their appreciation for historic architecture and their desire to save it from further decline. They said they continually renovated and improved the building.

"We're really impressed by (Keil's) appreciation for the historical architecture," Paul Kwiecinski said of the decision to sell to Keil and his partners. "We still have a lot of pride in that building."

Kwiecinski said he and his wife sold the building because they have other priorities, including their two adjoining buildings at Fifth Avenue and Main Street.