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10 months since the Lafayette City-Parish Council voted to sell the blighted site of the former federal courthouse to private developers, the project is now moving forward. Project developers have erected a construction fence around the property, indicating an end to the due diligence period and the beginning of the construction phase.
The Old Federal Courthouse project (or OFCH) has been in the works since November 2018, when the city-parish council approved the sale of the property to a group of private developers. The OFCH building, which has been vacant for decades, is identified as a catalyst project for Downtown Lafayette. Many have advocated for the site’s redevelopment, citing it’s potential to increase the residential population of Downtown and create vibrancy on a long neglected stretch of Jefferson Street.
The plans for the renovation include the creation of 68 apartment units and 25,000 square feet of commercial space. Construction was originally intended to begin in July, but concerns about environmental remediation led the developers to apply for a 90-day extension to obtain federal funding to offset remediation costs. The project has a “substantial completion” deadline of December 31, 2020.
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Drainage construction will begin in downtown Lafayette at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Lee Avenue in front of the old city hall building, according to a spokesperson Lafayette Consolidated Government’s (LCG) Public Works Department.
Read Clair Taylor’s article for The Acadiana Advocate here.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricanes Laura and Delta impacted the construction, the developers behind the old federal courthouse redevelopment in Downtown Lafayette knew the project would take a lot of work. J. Dyke Nelson, the architect behind the project, said he had to wear a hazmat suit the first time he came out and saw the property.
Tim Skinner has been a business owner in Downtown Lafayette for almost 30 years. While he has made an investment in the area, Skinner said he is thrilled to see other taking a vested interest as well. “This is the first big project that we see coming that will enhance east of Main,” Skinner said. “When the streets are improved and sidewalks are improved, the more accessible they are it’ll encourage people to invest money in new properties and renovating older properties. ”
SchoolMint will move into a temporary space in downtown Lafayette and could soon land a permanent home possibly later this month. Company CEO Bryan MacDonald said the company will move into the first floor of the Lemoine building, 214 Jefferson St., and hopes to have employees working there on Feb. 1.
The Downtown Development Authority is proposing construction of a performing arts center in downtown Lafayette to replace the 61-year-old Heymann Performing Arts Center, which landlocked Ochsner Lafayette General wants to buy. Referring to the idea as “the type of investment that tips the scale,” DDA CEO Anita Begnaud introduced the proposal at the board’s monthly meeting Thursday morning.
Parc San Souci has been the go-to place for people living in Lafayette for nearly twenty years. It has served as a place to host events, play and listen to live music, as well as take an iconic photo, but the Downtown Development Authority believes that it’s missing something.
Since the iconic Don’s Seafood in Downtown Lafayette closed in 2020, there has been a lot of curiosity about what would happen to the building. Since the 1930s, the restaurant was a staple of the district and a favorite dining destination for locals and visitors. Wonder no more.
