Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Friday, July 25, 2008

Gundersen parking project nears completion

Gundersen Lutheran’s Medical Center’s new $10 million parking structure, which will have 549 parking stalls on two underground levels and one above-ground level, is slated to open Aug. 18. Contributed photo

By TERRY RINDFLEISCH / La Crosse Tribune

Gundersen Lutheran’s underground patient parking structure will add 200 more parking spaces to the medical center’s grounds when it opens Aug. 18.

The $10 million structure, which is a part of a long-range construction and renovation project, will have 549 parking stalls on two underground levels and one above-ground level, and elevators with access to the floor of a patient’s appointment.

Solar panels on the roof are part of Gundersen Lutheran’s initiative to be a more environmentally friendly medical center, said Jerry Arndt, the health system’s senior vice president of business services.

“We believe the ramp will be well used because it’s very patient friendly with easy access,” Arndt said.

Complimentary valet parking will continue at the lowest level, and the valet shuttle will be assigned to the ramp to assist patients to elevators, he said.

Arndt said construction of the parking structure had been on schedule, but glass for the outside of the clinic was stuck on barges during recent floods, causing a delay.

When the structure opens, the main entrance of the clinic will close for remodeling, which is expected to take six months, Arndt said. The temporary entrance will be located next to the ramp.

Arndt said an elevator will be connected to the reception desks at all floors except the second floor, which is part of a two-story atrium.

The area around the surface level of the structure will be landscaped, and when another planned ramp is built nearby, that surface parking level will become green space, Arndt said.

The ramp will have a white roof to reflect sunlight and save money in cooling costs, Arndt said. Also 100 percent recycled glass was used in the project, and all construction waste was recycled, he said.

Arndt said the structure is also LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance “green” buildings.

Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com, or (608) 791-8227.