PUBLIC PROJECTS

COMPLETED:

Acadiana Center for the Arts

The ACA is a regional multi-faceted arts and cultural facility. Meeting standards for national arts facilities, the ACA utilizes a landmark building as its centerpiece, with special design features blending historic character with the contemporary to accommodate a broad range of cultural programming. The ACA features fine art exhibition space for national and international touring exhibits and diverse arts-education spaces.

Phase one of the ACA was completed and opened in October of 2004. Phase two, the AcA's 300-seat, state-of-the-art performance theater was complete in November 2010.Designed with a modifiable layout to accommodate complete versatility, the theaterserves Acadiana through a host of activities, from children's workshops to recitals, acoustical or amplified concerts, theatrical performances, special events, public gatherings, film screenings, and film and music recordings. With this venue and the Louisiana Cultural Products District designation, the strength and diversity of the arts district downtownisheightened.

Lafayette Science Museum

This major cultural facility involved the renovation and adaptive re-use of the former Heymann Department Store to providing for the expansion and relocation of the Lafayette Science. The museum has over 10 times the exhibit space, planned public education areas, a state-of-the-art planetarium with observatory, and curation facilities to serve south Louisiana in the disciplines of the biological sciences, Louisiana cultures, astronomy, and aerospace. The museum and planetarium is an important link to key cultural and education centers in Downtown Lafayette: The Public Library and the Children's Museum of Acadiana. The 3 facilities along with the Acadiana Center for the Arts anchor the museum and arts district and are connected via a the Central Parcs Network.

Central Parcs Network

The Central Parcs Network is the companion project to the Lafayette Science Museum, and all parcs were completed and available for use in April 2003. The Parcs Network consists of three separate urban park & plaza sites. These spaces serve large segments of the community on a daily basis and serve as staging areas for special events. The sites have their own identity and are linked by shared design elements. Each is in close proximity and integrates major public facilities such as the Federal Courthouse, Lafayette Public Library, Children's Museum of Acadiana, and the Lafayette Science Museum. The three sites are:

• Parc International (Site One) - Approximately 1.57 acres fronting The Children's Museum at Polk and Garfield. This site is an enclosed or "gated” park and a plaza by design. It features a permanent stage with backstage dressing rooms and concession areas to accommodate a wide range of events from festivals to symphonies and theatrical productions.
  
• Parc Sans Souci (Site Two) - Called "Sans Souci,” which means "without care” because of the historic book store (circa 1885) that is on the site. It is located on approximately 1.17 acres located behind Children's Museum at the corner of Vermilion and Polk. The site provides a setting for casual social gatherings and strikes a balance between a plaza and lawn environment with a fountain, landmark trees and colorful planting beds.
  
• Parc Putnam (Site Three) - Located on approximately 1.5 acres directly across the Federal Courthouse on Lafayette Street, this site not only serves as a "front yard” to the courthouse, but also provides a beautiful space for social interaction, formal civic gatherings, the display of public art and a secondary staging site for festival events. The site features a classical lawn, symmetrical plaza, and tree-lined walkway.

IN PROGRESS:

Lafayette Streetscape, Next Phases.

As part of the community plan for downtown revitalization and redevelopment, a master concept plan of street, sidewalk, utility and pedestrian amenities was developed for implementation in phases over time. The first major element was the rebuilding of downtown's commercial spine, Jefferson Street. That phase was completed in 1997 and served as a catalyst for extensive private sector reinvestment. Construction started on two additional segments of the streetscape program in October 2010.Segment one will extend Jefferson Street improvements fromit's intersection at Lee Avenue to its gateway entry point at the Johnston Street intersection.Segment two incorporates Lafayette Street between Vermilion and the library, which traverses the federal courthouse and Parc Putnam.

While the main facility on Common Street undergoes renovations, the Lafayette Public Library Downtown will relocate to its temporary home for collections and services to 538 Jefferson Street (former Jefferson Street Market). Administrative offices will be housed at 113 Clinton Street.

Rosa Parks Transportation Center

Formerly known as the Multimodal Transportation Center, located in the block bounded by Jefferson St., E. Cypress St., Lee Ave., and the Southern Pacific Railroad, this project has been under planning and construction for over 10 years. Renovation and enhancement of the Train Depot, railroad trackside improvements, and the transit system's saw tooth platform have been completed. The final portion of the Center completed in December 2010is a 40,877 square foot multi-use building with Transit, Parking, Metropolitan Planning Organization, Intelligent Transportation Systems, and Transportation Engineering functions along with a US Post Office. This final phase is near completion asthe old building is beingdemolished to provide for parking and public access to the facility with links to the first phase.

PUBLIC/PRIVATE PROJECTS

Acadiana Outreach Center's Joie de Vivre

Joie de Vivre, a new project sponsored by the Acadiana Outreach Center, is a $16 million residential, mixed use development, which will be located on the edge of the Mills Addition neighborhood. The vision of Joie de Vivre is to offer affordable housing that is part of a vibrant and diverse community enriching the lives of its residents through: unique architectural design, convenient on-site amenities, pedestrian-friendly walkways, and green common areas, while helping to support its residents and the Downtown Lafayette community. The master plan concept aims to position the development as an extension of Downtown Lafayette to support walkability, community interaction and sustained economic growth.

PRIVATE PROJECTS

St. John Street Development

Walls Properties L.L.C. is in the programming stages of a Mixed use Development on the corner of St. John and Convent Streets which includes 10-15 individual Loft-Style living areas for sale, 3-6 Loft-Style living areas for rent, +/- 3000 S.F. building shell 1st floor for lease and +/- 3000 S.F. building shell 2nd floor for lease for commercial use.