VPLE: West Central Site Summaries

The following list contains VPLE Sites that received Certificates of Completion, property descriptions, end uses and contact information.

• Map of DNR Regions

1. A C Humko Specialty Ingredients: 1115 Tiffany Street, Boyceville, Dunn County

BRRTS #: 06-17-258319
Acres: 9.3
Prior Use: From 1902 until the1970s, the facility was operated as the Boyceville Cooperative Creamery where milk and cream were prepared and butter and cheese were made.
Current Use: From 1982 until the present, the facility has been utilized as a manufacturing facility for custom food ingredients. Various corporations (presently ACH Food Companies, Inc.) performed spray drying, drum drying, evaporating, dry blending and brewing of various food-grade products. These ingredients include dairy products, vitamin/mineral mixers, pharmaceuticals, malt extracts, surfactants, honeys, molasses and raisins.
Assistance Received: VPLE Program
DNR Contact: Loren A. Brumberg (715.839.3770)

2. Western Wisconsin Ready Mix Inc: 25 Copeland Avenue, La Crosse, La Crosse County

BRRTS #: 06-32-269560
Acres: 8.3
Prior Use: From 1962 until 1996, various ready mix concrete companies operated on the property providing concrete to construction projects in the La Crosse/Onalaska area.
Current Use: From 1996 until the present, the property has been vacant land, owned by the City of La Crosse, awaiting redevelopment as a multi-use festival grounds (city park).
Assistance Received: Brownfields Environmental Assessment Program ("BEAP"), Off-site Liability Exemption for groundwater contamination and VPLE Program.
DNR Contact: Loren A. Brumberg (715.839.3770)

3. Royal Credit Union, 200 Riverfront Terrace, Eau Claire, Eau Claire County

BRRTS #: 06-18-415978
Acres: 3.8 acres
Prior Uses: The property supported railroad associated activities and a sewer pipe manufacturing plant in the late 1880's into the early 1890's. Businesses under the names Northern Sewer Pipe Company (1880's), Wm. Lister (1890's), Eau Claire Boiler Works (1890's), Smith Crockery Co. (1890's), Airis Coal & Building Materials (1930's - 1950's) and Krammer's Fuel Co. (1950's) have occupied portions of the property over the years. Railroad tracks of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad crossed the property and a freight depot was located at the northwest corner of Barstow Street and Railroad Street. A manufactured gas plant was constructed in 1901 and occupied a portion of the property. The plant converted coal to gas and operated on the site until 1947, when gas supplies were converted to propane. Xcel Energy completed a remediation project consisting of demolition of the retort building and meter shop along with excavation and off-site disposal of purifier box waste, coal tars and contaminated soils.
Current Use: Royal Credit Union Corporate Center
Assistance Received: general liability clarification letter and VPLE Program
DNR Contact: Loren A. Brumberg (715.839.3770)

4. Heartland County Co-op, Coon Prairie Avenue and Webster Street, City of Westby, Vernon County

BRRTS #: 06-63-543475
Acres: 3.5 acres
Prior Uses: The site was an agricultural field until the late 1960s when the site was developed as a bulk facility for the storage and sale of petroleum products and liquid propane (LP) gas. The site was known as the Westby Cenex Bulk Plant for many years.
Current Use: The site is presently used for equipment storage by Heartland Country Co-op and the growing of agricultural crops.
Assistance Received: VPLE Program
DNR Contact: Loren A. Brumberg (715.839.3770)

5. Rayovac Corporation, 503 Vine Street, Village of Wonewoc, Juneau County

BRRTS #: 06-29-264811
Acres: 2.22 acres
Prior Uses: Prior uses of the property included a brewery, battery manufacturer, and petroleum jobber with bulk petroleum storage tanks. The Rayovac Corporation leased buildings on the site from the Wonewoc Development Corporation from circa 1945 until operations ceased in 2003 and were moved to China. Prior to 1952, Rayovac shared the property with a brewery until fire burned both facilities to the ground. The brewery did not reopen, however a new larger battery-manufacturing facility was constructed. The Rayovac Corporation manufactured zinc-carbon, dry cell, six-volt lantern batteries, flashlights, and an experimental government battery called the Radiosonite Transborder Battery II. The special government battery was water-activated and contained silver- or lead-chloride. Individual battery cells were manufactured at the facility from 1945 until the mid-1980s, thereafter components were shipped to the facility and operations included battery assembly, plastic injection molding, aluminum plating, and flashlight assembly. From the late 1950s until the early 1980s, the Wonewoc Development Corporation also leased a portion of the property to the Standard Oil Company for the operation of a bulk petroleum storage facility.
Current Use: Currently the property is leased by Merrick’s, Inc., a division of Merrick Animal Nutrition, Inc. The company is a manufacturer of animal feed products and ingredients for infant animals.
Assistance Received: VPLE Program
DNR Contact: Loren A. Brumberg (715.839.3770)

6. Riverside Redevelopment Project (CenturyTel), 201/333/400/525 North Front Street, City of La Crosse, La Crosse County

BRRTS #: 06-32-227174
Acres: 10.32 acres
Prior Uses: The area has a long history of commercial and industrial development beginning in the late 1800s. Prior uses of the properties included a cooperage and barrel warehouse, copper shop, bedding company, machine shops, coal, coke & salt storage areas, petroleum jobber with a warehouse and bulk petroleum storage tanks, salvage operation, rail yard, and freight houses. More recently, the properties were used by a machine shop and tool & die operation (Luxco, Inc.) and a heating & air conditioning business (Cargill Heating & Air Conditioning Co., Inc.).
Current Use: CenturyTel Midwest Region Headquarters and Grandstay Residential Suites
Assistance Received: VPLE Program, Brownfields Environmental Assessment Program (“BEAP”), General Liability Clarification (Assurance) Letter
DNR Contact: Loren A. Brumberg (715.839.3770)

For more information on this page, contact:

Loren Brumberg (715.839.3770)