Photograph: Lena Charles updates the Opelousas Board of Aldermen Tuesday night on projects that will affect the downtown district. (Photograph by Bobby Ardoin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
The Opelousas downtown retail district could look different by the end of 2023 as several projected commercial projects are scheduled to be introduced within the next few months.
Triggered primarily by capital outlay funding from the Downtown Development District, plans for the potential repurposing of a former three-story hotel on Landry Street as well providing infrastructure improvements for constructing a Chick-Fil-a fast food restaurant, were introduced Tuesday night before a Board of Aldermen meeting.
DDD executive director Lena Charles said the city has received a proposal to restore the former Downtowner Hotel.
In addition the DDD is also providing $198,875 for water and sewer improvements for the Chick-Fil-a project at the corner of Waillior and East Landry, Charles added.
Both the cooperative endeavor agreement with Maison Des Chambers Corp. and a contractor award for the infrastructure improvement for the Chick-Fil-a restaurant were approved by the Board of Aldermen.
Hotel Renovation
The former hotel once used as a women’s homeless shelter, has been vacant for about a decade. The building was donated to the city several years ago by a former charter school located in St. Martin Parish.
During the past year the city administration has requested proposals from companies interested in repurposing the building and making it commercially viable.
Charles said the DDD has been working “behind the scenes” and invested in studies to rehabilitate the building and place it on the commercial real estate market.
“We have been putting (requests for proposals) out and asking buyers what can you do with the building in order to revitalize it. What we are looking for is something that will showcase the downtown and become a model (development),” said Charles.
Charles said her presentation Tuesday night was not intended to discuss prices for the building or negotiate with representatives of Maison Des Chambers, who also attended the meeting.
City Attorney Travis Broussard said further discussion among the Aldermen, DDD and the Maison Des Chambers officials can be held next month.
Charles said there is also another potential business proposal available for renovating the hotel, but she did not identify the prospective client.
Alderman Charles Cummings said after the meeting that he is interested in hearing from the other potential developer before he agrees to any decision for selling the former hotel.
Chick-Fil-A
The DDD and city officials have engaged in preliminary discussions with Chick-Fil-a representatives for several months.
One of the potential issues involved with locating the food franchise in Opelousas is handling the traffic volume that could occur at an already congested intersection which includes a federal post office and a CVS enterprise, Charles has said during previous meetings.
Representatives from Chick-Fil-a have noted that they would like to have an extended turning lane created off La. 190 in order to better handle the potential traffic increase when the restaurant is completed, Charles has told the Board previously.
City engineer William Jarrell III said Tuesday night that sewer improvements will not only facilitate the Chick-Fil-a restaurant, but assist the possible 48-acre development of adjacent property.
