The Good Times Are Rolling in Downtown Lafayette, LA
The city’s downtown revitalization works to attract and retain younger generations.
Major changes are happening in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana, and the result is a quality-of-life trifecta that you’re going to want to take advantage of… trust us. Redevelopments continue to bring new businesses, residences, restaurants and music venues, creating a work, live, play lifestyle that’s all within walking distance.
Troy Wayman, president and CEO at One Acadiana, the area’s business-led, privately funded economic development organization, says the downtown revitalization has been a journey that the region has welcomed.
“We hosted a summit regarding vibrant communities — everyone was energized, and that evolved into the Vibrant Acadiana initiative. The Vibrant Acadiana initiative brings in experts on livability, walkability and downtown revitalization. Our recent focus was a program to raise the civic IQ and help people understand what it takes to have a vibrant community. Having a place people want to live, work and play is critically important to every community,” Wayman says.
Since the initiative’s launch, amazing things have been happening downtown. Anita Begnaud, CEO of the Lafayette Downtown Development Authority, says the momentum is profound.
“People are starting to see downtown Lafayette as a viable investment and growth opportunity,” she says. “The growth and momentum have been locally driven. Local entrepreneurs are driving where downtown Lafayette is going — that’s special and unique. Our people are investing in businesses to create vibrancy downtown.”
A Diverse Mix
The businesses downtown are highly diverse, from unique retail to top-rated cuisine and entertainment options for all ages. It’s truly the place to be.
Business owners Setareh Mirian-Delcambre and Michael Delcambre contributed to the vibrancy of downtown by breathing life into an old property.
“We purchased the property for Sunday’s Soda Fountain without a concept, but we knew we wanted to complement our neighboring restaurants (The Flats and CENTRAL Pizza and Bar) and do something sweet for after dinner or have a place to keep the conversation going that’s not in the bar,” Mirian-Delcambre says. “Then we discovered old-world architecture design aesthetics, a nod to an era of Prohibition. Once we dug deeper into the history, we discovered the building previously housed two soda fountains: SY Yandle Confectionary and Soda Fountain in the early 1900s and Heymann’s Drug Store in the 1930s.”
It was then that they decided to carry on the soda fountain tradition. “Visitors frequently share stories about their time in the old soda fountains. We love bringing back memories and adding to the downtown aesthetic,” Mirian-Delcambre says.
The good times continue at another downtown favorite, Rock ‘n’ Bowl, which opened in the old Whitney Bank building in July 2018. Here, patrons enjoy live music and bowling.
Johnny Blancher, CEO of Rock ‘n’ Bowl, says the business has contributed to the vibrancy of downtown by bringing families to the area.
“Rock ‘n’ Bowl planted itself on the corner of Jefferson Street, an iconic street in the Lafayette area. Our venue is unique — we attract age groups of any kind, and the entire family can be involved. Our business has introduced families to downtown again, and I think that has been sorely lacking.”
Rise in Residential
Aside from entertainment, Lafayette’s downtown buzz comes from its residential offerings.
“Our core business is real estate, and we’ve purchased the land around us and are developing and adding more residential units,” Blancher says. “When we purchased the Whitney Bank building and started the process of moving Rock ‘n’ Bowl into downtown, there were only 29 bedrooms — that number has changed to the north of 100, and we’re going to be adding 200 of our own in the coming years. We’re excited to be a part of the process of adding to downtown’s vibrancy, and I don’t just say this out of theory. I live in downtown Lafayette, and I’ve seen what it’s like to have a family living here — it’s a great place to live.”
E.J. Krampe, a business owner and developer, has also added residential units downtown. In April 2022, he and his team opened Lofts at the Municipal, which features gorgeous studio and one-bedroom apartments.
“Downtown Lafayette has tremendous assets like large private elementary schools, various denominations of churches, wonderful park systems and plenty of amenities, but no one was living down there. We’ve continued to bring in some interesting businesses, but the municipal court building sat, and nothing was ever done with it. It was difficult to see it stay in disrepair while trying to develop other things — that’s what inspired the conversion to residential units.”
E.J. Krampe, Business Owner and Developer
‘Having Our Moment’
The growth in downtown Lafayette points to the city’s well-being.
“Downtowns are a barometer of the health of your community,” Begnaud says. “For communities to thrive, their downtowns must play a role in retaining and recruiting people because they offer a sense of belonging. People in Lafayette have realized this … and I feel lucky that I’m in this role in the region’s history. We’re having our moment, and it feels good that we’re on the right track.”
In addition to health, Krampe says the city’s downtown projects also promote financial stability.
“Using existing structures instead of spending money on the urban sprawl helps the city government and finances of a city by spending money within the municipality,” Krampe says. During the “urban sprawl” in the 1950s, people left downtowns to escape things like traffic, noise and crime. While this trend has lasted many decades, newer generations crave life downtown. “The redevelopment provides a place where our younger generation wants to live, work and play. This is one of the few and best ways we can attract and retain talent while improving the quality of life for everyone,” Krampe says. “We have a unique culture in Lafayette. Making our downtown more attractive, livable and fun is a bonus for our community and Acadiana.”
This article was sponsored by the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and One Acadiana.
