The Pink Palace, an apartment complex on Main Street a block from the La Crosse Public Library, has long been a site of significance for the community. It is not only recognizable for its salmon pink color and intriguing landscaping but also for its unconventional interior and usage since its construction.
Styled in the 1960s and ’70s by La Crosse residents Dale and Pat Wernecke, the main house is a snapshot in time. The retro-style kitchen and wallpapered rooms have remained throughout the years along with atypical features like sunken bathtubs and a 25-foot-long bridge.
The late Wernecke couple was interesting in their own right. Their daughter Nancy Wernecke, who grew up in the Pink Palace, told the Tribune that her father, Dale, was an entrepreneur of sorts who was once involved in black market coffee and sugar, and her mother, Pat, did a fair amount of international traveling.
While the Wernecke family still lived in the main house, they expanded the property by adding 15 rentable studio units. These units were leased to members of the community among other properties owned by Dale Wernecke in the area.
Dale died in the Pink Palace at the age of 82 on Feb. 23, 2011. Pat died there on Sept. 28, 2013.
Gerrard Corporation, family-owned real estate firm based in La Crosse, purchased the property and in 2016 the main house became an ideal space for the Three Rivers Scholar House.
Organized in partnership with Shelter Development Inc., Hope Academy at the Family and Children’s Center and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Self Sufficiency Program (SSP) the Three Rivers Scholar House was a space for single mothers pursing a secondary education at institutions in the La Crosse area.
Located in the main house, the program offered student mothers a private suite and bathroom for $400 a month, with shared access to the kitchen and communal areas. SSP Program Director Andrea Hansen told the Racquet Press six families lived in the house over its three years of operation, with SSP Graduate Barb Pollack serving as a house mom to help advise residents and oversee daily operations.
Nancy Wernecke said in an interview she found comfort in her childhood home being repurposed in a way that echoed its warmth. Rather than seeing it demolished, she took solace in knowing it would shelter single mothers and their children.
“The repurposing of the Pink Palace would be much in keeping with my parents’ legacy of kindness and generosity,” Wernecke said.
The program ended in 2020 and Reliant Reality took ownership of the property and continued renting to college students, however tenants were no longer required to be student mothers.
The main house quickly became a popular spot for college students, drawn to its spacious rooms, tiki bar and unconventional retro interior. The unique layout made it perfect for DJ booths and parties, including UWL’s football team’s annual formal, which was hosted at the Pink Palace in 2022.
Originally constructed in the 1880s, by the early 2020s the property was not surprisingly experiencing structural problems.
In December of 2024 the La Crosse Common Council approved demolition of the Pink Palace to make space for a $22 million housing project, titled Haven on Main, that was approved in January of 2024 by La Crosse’s Judiciary and Administration Committee.
Some community members were saddened to see the iconic building torn down. Paul Gerrard of Gerrard Corporation, part of the Haven on Main project, explained that the house had to be vacated due to its lack of ADA compliance and failure to meet the city’s historic preservation guidelines.
Parts of the original property will be retrofitted in Haven on Main. A series of angel decorations and decorative benches in Dale and Pat Wernecke’s honor will be placed in the community garden space while other pieces of furniture were apart of Habitat for Humanity ReClaim program.
Haven on Main is not a typical apartment complex. Sponsored by the Gerrard Corp., Couleecap and the Haven for Special People program, the complex will cater to people with disabilities and local workers. Half the units would be set aside for people with disabilities or special needs.
“This is a project that really serves a population that do not have housing in this way, in this community,” said Community Development Manager Mara Keyes.
At its completion, Haven on Main will feature 74 housing units with 118 bedrooms across three floors. On the ground level a hair salon and gym.
The project is expected to break ground in 2025 and is hoped to be completed in 2026.
The La Crosse Fire Department has been training at the location before the Pink Palace’s demolition. Battalion Chief Lance Tryggestad said the department has a training structure they use, but different buildings allow for scenarios that haven’t been seen before.
