The INDsider -> Leslie Turk WED, MAR 25 3:26AM by Leslie Turk

Johnston Street Smart: Reed Andrus' compromise plan

After decades of wishful thinking and years of serious debate that followed the introduction of the Johnston Street Redevelopment Initiative, a viable compromise is emerging to achieve critical aesthetic and functional improvements on the city’s main commercial corridor.

It comes from the private sector, and details are available on a Web site that went live March 24. It’s a solution that appears to work because it delivers most of the aesthetic improvements the community would like to see with minimal disruption of business. Its author, commercial real estate developer Reed Andrus, says it could be completed in as little as five years and perhaps cost one-third the original plan. City-Parish President Joey Durel says he’s seen it and is poised to endorse it.

Read Cherry Fisher May's commentary on Andrus' compromise plan in this month's Acadiana Business, on newsstands today.

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written by Jason Faulk , March 25, 2009 - 08:55 pm

My understanding is that the plan has now been limited to only work on Section 1 for the time-being, because it was the only one in agreement, (University Ave. to Doucet Rd.)

In addition, I further understood that the road would narrow near the University instead of the standard boulevard design.

One thing also important to point out here is that this plan fits in some areas where the ROW is already 100 feet, in others it is 80 feet.
In each location, a context sensitive solution would be required. If parking is an issue, it would be banked and offset by neighboring properties available.

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