From St. Landry Parish Economic Development
Active interest by national developers adds real vitality to a proposed project that would turn the intersection of I-49 and U.S. 190 into the Gateway to Acadiana, developers say.
The venture is planned for property surrounding Evangeline Downs and includes stores, an RV resort, an event center, cultural amenities, and more. The plans were unveiled at the October meeting of the Central St. Landry Economic Development District (CSLEDD) by Charlie Kolarik, an architect with Populous Architectural Design, a Kansas City-based firm that specializes in event-centered developments.
CSLEDD is paying the major portion of the $200,000-plus tab to create the master plan for more than 600 acres of Evangeline Downs property.
Bill Rodier, St. Landry economic development director, said national firms are interested in developing more than 140,000 square feet of retail and commercial space and also in the RV resort that would provide 300 spaces of “premium RV parking” for large motor coaches.
Their interest, Rodier said, moves the plan from “just a concept” to “an opportunity for real investment” of outside capital. That, he thinks, will help persuade Boyd Gaming, owners of Evangeline Downs, to move ahead. CSLEDD president Frank “Buddy” Helton, said St. Landry representatives will meet with Boyd Gaming “before the end of the year” to discuss the plan.
As proposed, the commercial center will include a pedestrian plaza set off by a small lake that would serve the practical purpose of capturing storm water runoff but “also allows us to develop something that shows off the natural character of Acadiana,” Kolarik said.
The RV area will connect to walking paths through a wooded area and include a pool, amphitheater, tennis and volleyball courts, a playground, and space for stores that cater to RV users.
Another central component will be a multi-use event center, designed in two parts. One part would house a dirt-floored arena suitable for rodeos and equine events, the other would be a concrete-floored facility suitable for conventions, trade shows, and similar events.
Two old silos that can be seen from U.S. 190 will be preserved and a cultural center will be built near them.
“If this property is developed in the way we see with this plan, it will create an anchor for the entire northern Acadiana region,” Rodier said. “We are looking at the potential for growth along the I-49 corridor from I-10 up to Evangeline Parish.”
The development would provide “a broader tax base, more options for retail and restaurants, and job opportunities,” in Helton’s estimation.
Site development will take 18 months to two years after the plans are finalized, he said.
“The crossroads of I-49 and U.S.190 is where south Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole culture truly starts,” according to Rodier, “More and more visitors from throughout the state and the region are discovering that St. Landry is indeed ‘a place where we live our culture.’ Evangeline Downs is already a major factor in attracting those visitors. It’s exciting to think about what developing this property to its fullest potential can mean for the parish, and indeed, all of south Louisiana.”