The Economics of Redevelopment

When

May 2, 2025
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Where

Black River Beach Neighborhood Center
1433 Rose Street
La Crosse, WI 54603

Details

Why can’t we just build more houses? Join this panel of builders, academics, and policy experts to discuss the numerous economic barriers to developing more housing in La Crosse and throughout the county. Panelists will not only talk about barriers, but they’ll also address strategies that would support more small and mid-scale projects and ways to make infill development more affordable.

Speakers include Nicholas McFaden, researcher and lecturer at the Menard Family Initiative at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; Kahya Fox, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region; Adam Hoffer, Director of Excise Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation and founder of the La Crosse Real Estate Investors Association; Mara Keyes, Community Development Manager at the City of La Crosse; and Marvin Wanders, co-owner of Three Sixty Real Estate.

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About the panelists:

Nicholas McFaden is a researcher and lecturer at the Menard Family Initiative at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. He holds an MA in Economics from George Mason University. His research interests include housing, regulation, and regional economic policy. His recent research focuses primarily on local housing regulation in Wisconsin and the Midwest.

Adam Hoffer is the Director of Excise Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation. Dr. Hoffer earned his PhD in Economics from West Virginia University and his undergraduate degree from Washington & Jefferson College. Prior to joining the Tax Foundation, Dr. Hoffer was the Menard Family Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the inaugural Director of the Menard Family Initiative. Dr. Hoffer was also a Bradley Freedom Fellow and a senior editor with the Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University. Dr. Hoffer is a real estate investor in La Crosse. Over the past ten years, Dr. Hoffer grew one of the largest residential real estate portfolios in La Crosse. He also launched a non-profit organization to help educate real estate investors, the La Crosse Real Estate Investors Association (REIA), and he is the organizer of the La Crosse Town Makers meetings for aspiring real estate developers. He lives in La Crosse, Wisconsin, with his wife and two children.
Mara Keyes serves as the City of La Crosse Community Development Manager. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME programs revitalize neighborhoods, address income inequality, and improve the quality of the City’s housing. CDBG staff oversee programs to build & rehabilitate homes and fund social service programs. Mara joined the City of La Crosse in November 2023.
Marvin Wanders bio coming soon.
Kahya Fox bio coming soon.