This could be another transformative year for downtown Lafayette. Just like 1996, when Streetscape set the table for the current entertainment district, downtown is poised to get another major shot in the arm when several projects, years in the making, finally make their debut.
The Advocate gives a progress report on the new development. A state-of-the-art, $10 million theater is now being built for the Acadiana Center for the Arts and slated for completion by fall. Also on tap to begin this year: a $1.2 million continuation of Streetscape, construction of a new post office and city offices at the Rosa Parks Transportation Center, a $10 million renovation of the library's main branch. Also, not mentioned in the article, is the demolition of the old federal courthouse at the corner of Jefferson and Main Street. The City-Parish Council granted approval last month to undertake an environmental assessment of the building, although it has not yet signed off on the building's demolition. The Durel administration wants to transfer the title on the property over to the Lafayette Economic Development Authority to develop the site as mixed-use commercial/residential.