Is St. Landry Industry Attractive?

Is St. Landry Industry Attractive?

BOBBY ARDOIN

St. Landry Now.com Editor

A state economic official told a group of St. Landry business leaders on Thursday that the parish has a sufficient number of enticing attributes that should be helpful in creating further economic growth.

Brandy Ledet, a Louisiana regional director of business development, said St. Landry has a sufficient number of certified industrial sites, economic taxing districts and a complementary post-high school academic system which enable the parish to remain “above the bar,” when it comes to developing industrial growth potential.

Ledet was among several panelists who spoke during a Louisiana Equine Center presentation on parish economic development awareness.

The Thursday event concluded a week-long series of St. Landry Economic Development-sponsored program that provided information on business development and sustainability.

Other Thursday panel members included Central St. Landry Economic Development chairman Buddy Helton, Opelousas Downtown Development District chairwoman Lena Charles and Harold Foreman, a businessman whose property interests include the south-Opelousas economic corridor.

Parish Attractiveness

Ledet, who formerly worked as a SLED economic development specialist, said the parish benefits from a community college and technical school system that provides course offerings to train individuals for the 21st century work force.

“Most rural communities don’t have that, two colleges that serve as workforce development pipelines,” Ledet said.

A pair of Opelousas taxing districts that charge an extra 1-cent on purchases along Interstate-49, Grand Coteau and Opelousas “big box” stores, are crucial, said Ledet, since that economic input provides match funding that enables the area to fund infrastructure projects.

During the past decade, SLED leaders have been instrumental in creating several certified industrial sites that have qualified with the state, Ledet told the audience.

Certified sites are a signal to industry, said Ledet, that the parish has land available to accommodate large economic developments.

The recently completed metal coating plant outside Washington is an example of how industry and the high school and community college system are working together to provide trained welders, Ledet said.

CSLED Contributions

Helton, who has been CSLED chairman since the district was created nearly nine years ago, said the taxing district, with the help of state officials, has completed I-49 and Guilbeau Road lighting upgrades in addition to paying for grass cutting and litter control that normally occurs twice a month.

South Opelousas has also benefitted, said Helton, from water and sewer upgrades, improved broadband connectivity and the purchase of the Equine Center which has helped sustain the claim that St. Landry is the Equine Capital.

CSLED, Helton noted, has invested in economic recruitment that brought McAlister’s, Ollie’s and Hobby Lobby to Opelousas.

Collaborative funding from the state and the taxing district has provided several phases of water and sewerage improvements for south Opelousas residences and businesses, Helton said.

The sewer and water improvements will continue with projects on the east side of I-49 and a projected Phase 4 plan which provides water and sewer enhancements along Guilbeau Road, according to Helton.

ODD

Charles said the District has provided $250,000 in revenues for water lines that enabled Chic-Fil-A to locate in Opelousas.

Those improvements, said Charles,will also facilitate more economic benefits on the east side of Opelousas off Waillor Street.

Charles said the ODD has remained focused on commercially energizing the Opelousas downtown area with a vacant structures and improvement ordinance that was approved two years ago by the Opelousas Board of Aldermen.

There are enough federal and state tax credits available to make investing in downtown Opelousas attractive for persons who want to improve their properties, Charles said.

Charles mentioned that ODD also partnered with CLECO several years ago to provide LED lighting for the major streets in Opelousas.

“Some people complained that the lighting would show the blighted properties in the city, but we told them showing those properties might encourage people to want to fix them up,” said Charles

The Building Improvement Grants funded by ODD, Charles said, act as an encouragement for downtown business owners to improve their properties.

BIG grants can provide up to $10,000 in funding matches, said Charles.