La Crosse City Commission approved a development agreement Wednesday for Haven on Main, a 70‑unit affordable housing project at Main Street and Tenth Street North that will reserve at least 50% of units for adults living with disabilities and use low‑income housing tax credits and tax‑increment financing (TIF) support.

Commissioners and staff said the project, developed by a partnership that includes Gerard and Cooley Cap working with the nonprofit Haven for Special People, won about $12 million in state and federal low‑income housing tax credits and will include one‑, two‑ and three‑bedroom apartments and roughly 3,200 square feet of commercial space.

City staff told commissioners the development agreement formalizes previously negotiated terms, including a minimum assessed‑value guarantee and a covenant restricting tax‑exempt status. The agreement describes a 10‑year payback schedule for the TIF assistance that the city estimates will total just under $800,000 and says certain public‑right‑of‑way work (sewer, stormwater, sidewalks and curbs) will be paid from TID 11 and TID 17 when those districts enter their expenditure periods. Staff said the developer will cover the cost to reroute and reconstruct an alley that runs through the development site; that alley will be vacated and reconstructed to become city property.

Public commenters, including residents and people connected to Haven for Special People, urged approval and described the project as a model for inclusive, mixed‑income housing. "Haven on Main is a unique development. It will be an asset in Downtown La Crosse," said Charlotte Grant, a resident. Jim Capuccio, who identified himself as a board member of Haven on Main and a retired special‑education teacher, said units designed for residents with mobility impairments will have features "unlike anything that's in La Crosse." Several speakers noted the site's proximity to downtown amenities and transit as an asset.

Staff said the project will be subject to the compliance period required by the state housing agency overseeing tax credits and that the city covenant will run for 20 years; the state compliance period for the tax credits will extend for 30 years. The development agreement includes a minimum assessed‑value guarantee of about $6.4 million and staff estimated the completed project value could be about $6.5 million, up from roughly $1.5 million for the current site.

Council President Tamara Dickinson moved to approve the development agreement; Commissioner Lee seconded. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the agreement.

Commissioners and staff said they will track the development and bring periodic updates on TIF payments and covenant compliance to the commission in future reports.