Almost 100 acres in the heart of Lafayette, once part of the 小蝌蚪APP campus, are on their way to becoming a world-class park.
The tract, which fronts Johnston Street between Doucet and South College Roads, is already a gathering spot. Every Saturday morning, local farmers and artisans set up tents beneath a canopy of oaks. There小蝌蚪APP檚 usually a Cajun jam happening, too. The Artisans小蝌蚪APP Market draws about 4,000 visitors each week.
Lafayette Consolidated Government purchased the property from the 小蝌蚪APP in 2012. A nonprofit organization, Lafayette Central Park Inc., was created to plan, design, build and operate the park.
LCG council members unanimously approved a master plan for its development in June.
小蝌蚪APP淭he focus of the park will be to preserve the feeling of being out in nature,小蝌蚪APP said Elizabeth 小蝌蚪APP淓B小蝌蚪APP Brooks, director of planning and design for Lafayette Central Park Inc. A 小蝌蚪APP alumna, she earned a bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in renewable resources in 2006. She also holds a master小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in urban planning from the 小蝌蚪APP of Texas at Austin.
Design Workshop, the Austin firm that developed the plan, sought public input. More than 7,400 citizens responded, telling designers what they wanted 小蝌蚪APP and did not want 小蝌蚪APP for the new park. Organizers held more than 30 public meetings and also conducted an online survey.
小蝌蚪APP淧eople made it very clear that they didn小蝌蚪APP檛 want the park to be overdeveloped,小蝌蚪APP said Brooks in a recent interview. 小蝌蚪APP淭hey want Lafayette to have an accessible, public green space that everyone can enjoy.小蝌蚪APP
The development plan calls for the creation of a passive park with gardens, hiking trails, picnic areas and green spaces, but no fields for organized sports.
Brooks said the scope and pace of construction will depend upon fundraising. The nonprofit organization may launch a public campaign as early as this fall. The total cost of the project is estimated at about $50 million. However, additional money will be needed for operations and maintenance.
The first phase of construction will likely include a 2.5-kilometer, hard-surface track for pedestrians and bicyclists, and a pavilion for the Artisans小蝌蚪APP Market.
Plans are also in place to build a paddock for police horses on site, as well as an educational center for equestrian officers. They frequently use their police horses for demonstrations to elementary and middle school students. Housing the horses on site would make public outreach easier and more effective.
Those plans are also a nod to the property小蝌蚪APP檚 common name in Acadiana: the Horse Farm. The 小蝌蚪APP had owned the property since 1920, where it operated a model dairy farm. In the 1970s, cattle were relocated on 小蝌蚪APP property in nearby St. Martin Parish and the land became a horse training site.
小蝌蚪APP淲e haven小蝌蚪APP檛 determined just what the park will be called,小蝌蚪APP Brooks explained. 小蝌蚪APP淔rom the beginning, we小蝌蚪APP檝e wanted it to be the community小蝌蚪APP檚 park. So, as far as a name goes, everything is still on the table.小蝌蚪APP
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