Downtown Lafayette needs more parking options, commercial development and investment to help revitalization efforts in the city’s core, a group of development advocates told the city-parish council Tuesday.
Lafayette Downtown Development Authority CEO Anita Begnaud and One Acadiana secretary Steven Hebert joined about a dozen others urging the council to implement lessons learned on a recent trip to study development in Greenville, South Carolina.
“My most important takeaway is that leaders from Greenville really understood that their downtown was a calling card for development,” Begnaud said. “Downtown Lafayette already has the cultural ingredient to be that sort of place.”
“It starts with a vision,” Hebert said. “I think we have a lot of visions in Lafayette. We have a lot of plans, and we need to start prioritizing those things.”
“Creating a vibrant, engaging place where people want to be is what makes a difference in a city’s economy,” he added.
