Redevelopment of old courthouse property could move forward Tuesday
Plans to redevelop the property on the 700 block of Jefferson Street currently occupied by the old federal courthouse are likely to move forward at Tuesday’s meeting of the Lafayette City-Parish Council.
The CPC will vote on an ordinance for final adoption authorizing City-Parish President Joey Durel to allow site inspections by the state Department of Environmental Quality as well as transfering the property’s title to the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, which will oversee transforming the site into a mixed-use development.
As the INDsider reported in August, preliminary plans for the site begin with razing the brick courthouse building, which Lafayette Consolidated Government purchased from the feds in 2001 for $800,000, and redeveloping the site to include commercial and residential use. The Advocate reported in September that the offices of the city prosecutor — the last remaining in the building — should be vacated by year’s end.
... written by andymhebert , December 14, 2009 - 08:07 pm
As a life long resident and registered voter of the City of Lafayette, I am disappointed that the Ind still will not recognize the separate and distinct property ownership of the Separate Taxing District known as the City of Lafayette. The City of Lafayette paid $800,000 for the building and the City of Lafayette owns it. LCG did not purchase anything. The separately paid for and accounted for assets of the City of Lafayette are under separate ownership by those who are separately registered voters of the City of Lafayette. What is unfortunate is these assets are under the control of non-city voters As soon as the “con†government was established, the first thing they did was remove the words “City of Lafayette†from all of our separate assets, thus giving the illusion of being “Conâ€solidated.
LCG is just a management company. The City of Lafayette has “outsourced†it elected leaders to the Parish. The Parish has successfully completed their “identity theft†of all City of Lafayette Assets. It’s still named the “Lafayette Parish Courthouse†and not the “Lafayette Consolidated Courthouse†isn’t it? You did receive a City of Lafayette Property tax notice, just pay it to LCG.
... written by NORTHSIDIAN SHOTGUN : , December 14, 2009 - 09:02 pm
Andy, this is the first step towards isolationism !
... written by Unempirical Observer , December 14, 2009 - 10:39 pm
Isolationism? Seems like Andy's narrative of outsourcing isn't resonating with the public. But he is right to an extent. We have a common community...a city. To an extent it is a weird and malformed hybrid, which allows non-members of the community to come in have their say, (parish councilmen) without having the economic risks directly attributed to them (city taxes and bonds.) It also seems like a poor attempt at acknowledging the fact that there are many STAKEHOLDERS in the activity and vibrancy of Lafayette (the city) while they happen not to be shareholders of, ..the city.
I would argue, that if you pay Sales Tax to the City of Lafayette, then you are at least a Stakeholder. You may have a rightful voice in the process. This can be carried out through public meetings and the process in the media. But again, one is not a shareholder of the city, where the ultimate decision making and responsibility for the risks and obligations lies. Stakeholder from outside Lafayette certainly have an interest in the prosperity of Lafayette, but they do not, and should not have a role in telling us/DECIDING FOR US that we cannot support Festival International, or other social services that we as a common community would decide to support.
Let us hope that this situation is rectified in the future.
Let us also praise the existing officeholders for their willingness to make a good situation out of a bad one and unload that courthouse that was never needed in the first place.
... written by realitychecks , December 15, 2009 - 12:40 am
This is an asset owned by the City and therefore belongs to the citizens; not to King Joey nor the council. This would amount to a give away of citizens' assets to some quasi-government-but-not-exactly-agency!! No, perhaps the better word would be THEFT; not a give away!! The council needs separate legal counsel which will tell it that it can not EXPROPRIATE citizen owned property by illegally "transferring" it to some supposed agency looking out for the city's development, with membership that is not elected and therefore not accountable to the citizens. This would be a "cloudy" legal title, in the very least. But apparently, Joey doesn't think laws apply to him! Next, you will see through the LINC shams, expropriations of properties belonging to the elderly to developers for the "good of the City".
... written by realitychecks , December 15, 2009 - 01:26 am
It is as though Joey thinks that "transferring" the property to a middle man, like LEDA, will make this somehow legal!! Thereafter, he'll transfer it to some person who promises him some favor or benefit and we, the dumb citizens, just will not notice?!?
Get REAL!!
... written by Cajunrunner , December 15, 2009 - 04:47 pm
"but they do not, and should not have a role in telling us/DECIDING FOR US that we cannot support Festival International, or other social services that we as a common community would decide to support."
Good point, Observer. You should not be told that you cannot support the Festival and other non-government social services. You and other private individuals/businesses have every right to donate your private money to those organizations. An extra hotel tax levy during the week of the Festival can be dedicated to that fund, for those hotels in Lafayette, can also be passed so individuals can CHOOSE to support the Festival.
Politicians SHOULD NOT be allowed to FORCE private taxpayers to fund festivals and other private social organizations. That is what federal, state and local governments do when they appropriate public tax dollars to non-government entities.
... written by andymhebert , December 15, 2009 - 05:42 pm
The Parish is running the City of Lafayette. The City of Lafayette government was usurpted through fraudulent acts. On November 3, 1992, the Parish of Lafayette held an election to “merge†the City of Lafayette government into the Parish. The City of Lafayette elected officials, as stated in court documents, did absolutely nothing to abolish their separate home rule charter form of government as required by their charter and state law. However, the Secretary of State somehow duplicated the Parish voters living in the City of Lafayette and declared that a City of Lafayette vote on the issue. This is the first time in the City of Lafayette’s history that a single certified Parish vote could ever be re-used as a certified City vote. What is ironic is that the counting of the vote crossed the legal jurisdictional line between two separate governing authorities. I am not aware of any U.S. Constitutional right of any legal authority to certify votes for another legal authority much less duplicate them. Now you know the rest of the story.
... written by Edloss Edward , December 15, 2009 - 07:06 pm
Just sell the darn thing to the highest bidder and pay off some debt.
... written by NORTHSIDIAN SHOTGUN , December 16, 2009 - 01:50 am
THE END RESULT IS BEING SCREENED BY SO MUCH SMOKE. THE LAFAYETTE PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT HAS "ISOLATED" ITSELF, BY CHOICE, FROM THE PROBLEMS OF UNCHECKED GROWTH, THE LICENSING OF SO MANY BARS $ CLUBS CONGESTED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WITHOUT ANY REGARD FOR THE WELFARE OF DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES,
HEED THIS ! THE MORE TAXES THEY CAN IMPOSE, THE MORE TAXES THEY WILL IMPOSE !
... written by Jason D. Faulk , December 16, 2009 - 09:16 am
I read in The Advocate that Jay Castille suggests we hold on to this property for a new parish courthouse location. Perhaps he is right, in that we may yet need another public space downtown. This site historically has housed public facilities, going back to the public library (now Acadiana Open Channel), the former city hall, now Le Centre International, and the old Central High School. Just my opinion, but I'd like to see a Grand Market of the city of some sort, a City Market. Many good urban cities, particularly those of foreign locales which we attract tourists from, have a long tradition of the market. Yes, even New Orleans has one. While the triangle site may not necessarily be the best location for such a market, I'd still wish to see such a development.
At the very least, as has been mentioned, it could be used for parking (an additional Festival International space.) If that does come to pass, It would be nice for the city to waste no time, and plant some street trees on all three surrounding streets, so that by the time development does occur, some will have had a chance to become established.
... written by NORTHSIDIAN SHOTGUN : , December 16, 2009 - 09:18 pm
AY, lets resurrect ole CAT DOUCET, and pay HOMAGE TO AH TRUE POLITICO BY ERECTIN HOUSE IN HIS NAME, CAT DOUCET"S HOUSE "ON THE SQUARE"...IN THIS CASE "ON THE POINT".
You must be logged in to post a comment. Log in using your Facebook account or register if you do not have an account yet.
David Calhoun and Elizabeth “EB” Brooks are the first two employees of Lafayette Central Park Inc., the nonprofit charged with turning Lafayette Consolidated Government’s 100-acre Johnston Street Horse Farm property into a passive public park. Calhoun was named executive director, and Brooks is director of planning and design.
There will soon be a whole lot of shakin’ going on at Benny’s Sportshack Supplement Depot, a new concept by Opelousas native Benny Nele. Located at 2002 Johnston St., the supplement shop, smoothie bar and café, featuring hot off the press paninis and wraps, plans to open in late May.
This year’s Cool Town issue is all about people who are not native to South Louisiana but made a conscious decision to be here, to be among us, to participate in our culture and contribute to it.
A shelved ordinance transferring $200,000 from a northside drainage project to a south Lafayette development may not break any laws, but it stinks to high heaven.
An effort to restore a shuttered dancehall and document other vacant or razed honky-tonks could serve as a model for saving an endangered species of entertainment.
Lafayette’s gene pool has been host to a long line of eccentric characters who have blurred the lines between crazy, genius, disturbed and curiously entertaining.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
LCG is just a management company. The City of Lafayette has “outsourced†it elected leaders to the Parish. The Parish has successfully completed their “identity theft†of all City of Lafayette Assets. It’s still named the “Lafayette Parish Courthouse†and not the “Lafayette Consolidated Courthouse†isn’t it? You did receive a City of Lafayette Property tax notice, just pay it to LCG.