There's a great article in the La Crosse Tribune (click here) about the history of 5th Avenue in La Crosse.  Lot's if interesting things I wasn't aware of.

It underlines, again, a lesson I learned from a very successful businessman in Sioux Falls.  "Bad location" is an excuse, not a reason.  If you have what they want, they'll come.  If you don't, you won't survive no matter where you put your business.  Ask anyone from the very long list of stores that have failed at the mall.