25 Businesses Affected By Creswell Increase

25 Businesses Affected By Creswell Increase

BOBBY ARDOIN

St. Landry Now.com Editor

A public notice posted in the Eunice News — the official journal for the Opelousas Downtown Development District — indicates that Creswell Lane shopping may soon be more expensive at 25 businesses along the retail corridor.

The 1-cent sales tax increase that is being proposed on Creswell Lane by the ODD is still under consideration and could again be discussed at a Sept. 22 meeting now scheduled for the St. Landry Parish Economic District office on Interstate 49 South.

If approved by the ODD, which currently collects an extra 1-cent at large retail stores on the south side of Opelousas and similar businesses located down Union Street and parts of the downtown area of the city, the Creswell increases will include rental furniture outlets, fast food and indoor dining establishments, clothes, household items, mass communications, oil changes and gasoline purchases.

The Creswell tax increase — if passed – will charge customers 11.75 percent for every dollar spent.

Eleven of the tracts that will be included if ODD passes the sales tax are owned by Jacob and Mary Abdalla Properties.

During previous discussions in connection with the proposed 1-cent increase, ODD executive chairperson Lena Charles indicated that the District needs more revenue for funding downtown catalyst projects.

The ODD is also in the second year of paying off a $5 million bond dedicated for the Phase 1 Donald Gardner Stadium project.

That bonded indebtedness scheduled over 10 years with interest, will pay the note on the majority of the stadium project.

A map of stores that are scheduled to be included inside the Creswell taxing district can be found in the Eunice News.