Photograph: Part of citizen’s group discussing their support for downtown Opelousas. (Photograph by Freddie Herpin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Revitalization for downtown Opelousas was discussed at length Sunday afternoon as a group of citizens exchanged ideas and potential networking plans during an informal meeting held inside the city historic district.
Participants during the hour of discussions included Opelousas business owners and citizens who expressed concern about preserving the integrity of the downtown area and working on establishing partnerships with existing organizations that they feel could assist their efforts.
Members who spoke during the meeting also indicated that they need to become more tightly connected in order to more accurately share information germane to the downtown area.
Several individuals noted that many decades ago areas of downtown Lafayette, now economically successful, resembled the current downtown blocks of Opelousas which contain many shuttered buildings.
St. Landry Now.com assisted with the meeting which included a detailed examination of Opelousas Main Street, the Opelousas Downtown Development District, the Opelousas Historic District, and the two economic development districts which represent St. Landry Parish and south Opelousas.
Members of the group answered questions which described the action of Louisiana lawmakers in establishing the ODDD, in addition to aspects of the ODDD master plan, funding mechanisms, current ODDD projects, a recently-approved downtown ordinance and times and locations for future monthly meetings of the District. The projects of Opelousas Main Street was also part of the discussion.
Gretchen Erlingson reminded those who attended the meeting that the United States Department of Agriculture is planning to provide an economic presentation during a special meeting of the ODDD, and St. Landry Economic and Development District sometime within the next several weeks.
Erlingson added that the appearance by USDA officials is important, since they will possibly provide information on available economic grants.
Carola Hartley, St. Landry Now Publisher, added that what will be the interlocking factor if the group succeeds in presenting a succinct message is the focus on revitalizing the downtown and making the area commercially viable again will move forward and be even stronger.
The group also examined and discussed the impact that organizations and groups such as the city Main Street program (created in 1993), the Historic District Commission (created in 1989) and ODDD have on policies that affect the downtown area.
Opelousas created a local historic district in 1989, and had part of that district placed on the National Register of Historic Places in September of that year. Some members of the group emphasized that the structures located within the historic district should be carefully protected from demolition without proper notification with city code enforcement and review by city elected officials, planning commission members and the Opelousas Historic District Commission.
Photographs by Freddie Herpin
