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Rachel Holland joined Lafayette’s Downtown Development Authority as Director of Downtown Development and Planning on March 9. Holland, who has experience in both the public and private sectors, will facilitate Downtown real estate development and investment and serve as a liaison for private industry with Lafayette City-Parish government.
“Rachel understands the contributions urban areas make to a city, parish, and region,” said DDA CEO Anita Begnaud. “Downtown is ready to be a model for market-leading, sustainable development that demonstrates a healthy return on investment.”
Holland was most recently the Planning Manager for Lafayette-based Southern Lifestyle Development’s mixed-use and traditional neighborhoods portfolio. Prior to that role, she was a planner at Lafayette Consolidated Government for three years, where she worked to streamline regulations for infill development and reform policy in Downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods.
A Lafayette native who lives in the Downtown area, Holland graduated from St. Thomas More Catholic High School and has a Master of Architecture degree from Tulane University in New Orleans.
In her new role, she will serve as a development liaison between public and private interests. Her background in architecture, experience with development codes, and involvement in development at all stages—from planning to construction—give her a unique perspective when working with strategic partners. Holland aims to establish a framework where infill development is seen as a viable, and sometimes preferable, alternative to greenfield options.
While at LCG, she guided developers through public processes and gained an understanding of the challenges associated with redevelopment. “I will work to untangle the encumbrances inherent in infill projects that, if left unaddressed, drive development to greenfield sites because those areas have historically been easier to approach,” Holland said. “Reconstructing the narrative about infill development—that it’s too difficult or uneconomical—is critical to retaining and attracting business and industry in Downtown Lafayette.”
Begnaud notes, “Rachel’s keen understanding of development challenges and opportunities makes her the right choice for this new role. Her experience will enhance our office’s ability to be a resource to the increasing number of developers and businesses looking to locate, expand, build, and revitalize in Lafayette’s urban core.”
Holland serves on the board of directors for Lafayette Habitat for Humanity and is actively involved in both One Acadiana’s Urban Revitalization and Development Committee and the Acadiana Housing Alliance.
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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.
