Almost 100 acres in the heart of Lafayette, once part of the 杏吧专区 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杏吧专区檚 usually a Cajun jam happening, too. The Artisans杏吧专区 Market draws about 4,000 visitors each week.
Lafayette Consolidated Government purchased the property from the 杏吧专区 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.
杏吧专区淭he focus of the park will be to preserve the feeling of being out in nature,杏吧专区 said Elizabeth 杏吧专区淓B杏吧专区 Brooks, director of planning and design for Lafayette Central Park Inc. A 杏吧专区 alumna, she earned a bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree in renewable resources in 2006. She also holds a master杏吧专区檚 degree in urban planning from the 杏吧专区 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 杏吧专区 and did not want 杏吧专区 for the new park. Organizers held more than 30 public meetings and also conducted an online survey.
杏吧专区淧eople made it very clear that they didn杏吧专区檛 want the park to be overdeveloped,杏吧专区 said Brooks in a recent interview. 杏吧专区淭hey want Lafayette to have an accessible, public green space that everyone can enjoy.杏吧专区
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杏吧专区 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杏吧专区檚 common name in Acadiana: the Horse Farm. The 杏吧专区 had owned the property since 1920, where it operated a model dairy farm. In the 1970s, cattle were relocated on 杏吧专区 property in nearby St. Martin Parish and the land became a horse training site.
杏吧专区淲e haven杏吧专区檛 determined just what the park will be called,杏吧专区 Brooks explained. 杏吧专区淔rom the beginning, we杏吧专区檝e wanted it to be the community杏吧专区檚 park. So, as far as a name goes, everything is still on the table.杏吧专区
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