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New interstate, new neighborhoods: Lafayette prepares for Evangeline Thruway conversion
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LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- Lafayette is preparing neighborhoods along Evangeline Thruway for the future conversion of Evangeline into an interstate highway.
The Economic Action Plan highlights eight specific areas that are set to change: MLK Jr. Plaza, Donlon Triangle, Jefferson Intersection, Downtown Connection, Simcoe Triangle, Blvd. South, McComb-Veazey Central and Plan Patterson.
Planning Manager Cathie Gilbert said the city's goal is to make investments along the future interstate.
"The overall picture is that we are we are making investments into the areas along the future interstate, specifically targeting certain areas for certain improvements to our infrastructure and working with landowners to develop their property."
Gilbert said the city plans to revitalize, not remove, these properties.
"Some of them are vacant land. Some of them are in embedded in neighborhoods," Gilbert said. "There's going to be redevelopment, and it might not necessarily be in these locations, but if we targeted our efforts on these few sites, then we're kind of getting ready for the future."
Plans for redevelopment includes new mixed-income neighborhoods, spaces for new businesses, bicycle paths and parks.
"The Evangeline Thruway currently carries a lot of traffic. It essentially separated downtown from the McComb-Veazey neighborhood. If we do our job right and work with the state, we can have lots of connections that start to glue back that McComb-Veazey with Downtown and have some things in there on the Grand Boulevard that maybe aren't offered downtown. Not that we're competing, but that we're looking at Downtown and the Grand Boulevard altogether."
This Economic Action Plan is just a part of the 43-catalyst projects in the works with the Evangeline Corridor Initiative.
There will be a meeting Mon., Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. to present the Economic Action Plan to the public and search for investors in the projects.