[UPDATE: Announcement of the deal to bring Whole Foods and Burlington Coat Factory to Lafayette, along with additional information on the project, was made by City-Parish President Joey Durel shortly after this story was posted. In the announcement, Durel confirmed, as we reported, that Burlington Coat Factory has signed a lease to occupy the former Super Kmart building and Whole Foods Market has signed a letter of intent to construct a new store on an outparcel at the 3300 Ambassador Caffery Parkway site.
“We are happy to announce the redevelopment of the former Super Kmart building. This project signals the entry of two high-demand brands to the market and will undoubtedly encourage additional development in the area," Durel said. "I would like to thank Louisiana DOTD and our local team, LCG Directors and LEDA, for their efforts to attract these high caliber businesses to the property.”
The release noted that the building, which was built in 1994, has been vacant since 2003.
“It is exciting to have this large commercial site placed back into commerce. This development marks the beginning of a renewal for this urban location,” Gregg Gothreaux, Lafayette Economic Development Authority President and CEO, said in the announcement. “LEDA is grateful to the brokers, these companies, LaDOTD and Lafayette Consolidated Government for facilitating this project. The economic impact of these businesses and the resulting jobs will be significant for our community.”
The release noted that Burlington sells designer merchandise at discount prices. Its stores feature coats, apparel, shoes, accessories, baby clothes, furniture, toys, home decor items and gifts. It has more than 450 stores in 44 states nationwide. The original Whole Foods Market opened in 1980 with a staff of 19 people in Austin. The company now has 58,000 employees and 300 stores in 38 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and the U.K.
To help facilitate access management at this high-traffic location, local officials say the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has agreed to transfer its control of Ridge Road from Ambassador Caffery Parkway to the roundabout at Rue du Belier to LCG. This intergovernmental agreement will require approval of the Lafayette City-Parish Council. President Durel has submitted an ordinance to the council authorizing this agreement.]
ORIGINAL STORY:
A planned Whole Foods Market and Burlington Coat Factory will breathe new life into the long vacant Kmart site on Ambassador Caffery Parkway.
A source close to the deal tells The Independent that the world’s largest organic and natural foods retailer has signed a letter of intent to construct a store at the site, on an outparcel at the corner of Ambassador Caffery Parkway and Ridge Road. Austin-based Whole Foods has long sought to open a Lafayette store, and speculation had heated up in recent months that it was looking at various south Lafayette locations. Whole Foods will face off against its smaller competitor, Fresh Market, which is based in River Ranch.
The Burlington deal is firmer, as the company has signed a lease on the old Kmart building, according to our source. Based in New Jersey, the national department store specializes in clothing and shoes.
Official word on the deal is expected to be released shortly.
MAY 23 Here's a story in the Picayune about some statistics that must come as a blow to folks who believe that any private school can do a better job of educating kids than any public school: Danielle Dreilinger reports that only 30 percent of the voucher kids are passing. That's less than half of the state wide average, she says. It's an interesting statistic because most of the schools (if not all) taking voucher kids have never had their students' standardized test scores released to the public before.
MAY 23 Stephen Sabludowsky blogs on Bayou Buzz about auditor requests here. Recently the state GOP started crowing about a request from the Legislative Auditor, claiming they were being targeted because of their anti-tax stance. (Uh, your what?) Denial and hyperbole aside, the state Democratic party blew holes in that theory with an email announcing they'd received the same request, Sabludowsky writes here.
MAY 23 Jim Brown blogs about the senate race in this post. He says that, given Bobby Jindal's "lack of traction" on the national stage, it might make more sense for the governor to consider running against Mary Landrieu for the senate seat. Since Tim Teeple left the Cassidy team, it makes sense he might land on a Jindal for Senate team, Brown opines.
MAY 23 In this Louisiana Voice post, blogger Tom Aswell writes of rumors that his nemesis, state Superintendent of Education John White, may be soon departing Louisiana for a federal post. It's hard to believe, given his performance, Aswell says, but stranger things have happened. An anti-White BESE member says that, if true, White is quitting before he can be fired.
MAY 23 In this post on American Zombie, blogger Jason Berry writes about the Mother's Day shooting. Mayor Landrieu said that "this is not who we are," but the fact is, this is New Orleans, Berry writes. The violence infused in the city is the result of a culture created by "sins of omission or sins of commission," Berry writes. It's not a problem that can be solved by legislating, policing, praying or publicizing, he says: Someone's got to understand what's happening first.
MAY 23 This post in the Westside Journal tells us what Port Allen Mayor Deedy has been up to lately: vetoing ordinances, apparently. This story is most interesting, however, when it delves into a petition that has been circulating around the city lately. It accuses the former mayor of a lot of nasty things; the former mayor says it is full of lies and "broken syntax" which may be a larger offense in his eyes.
MAY 23 This editorial posted in The Advocate is a bit confusing. The writing is poor - definitely not up to the usual editorial writing standard there - and the point is hard to grasp. Apparently, the writer is saying that privatization of state efforts is OK, as long as there is oversight and transparency, but Jindal's not good at that, and the legislature shouldn't over-react. Okey Dokey. Can't they get one of them Pulitzer-winning people to write an editorial?
MAY 23 This post on The Lens gives you links to a new Google Earth tool that allows you to see any spot on earth transform over the past 30 years. Bob Marshall, who covers the coast for the paper, says that in the case of Louisiana's coastline, it's possibly something you don't want to see, because it's not a pretty picture. There are several clips here, showing critical areas erode away. For Marshall, it was vindication for all those times he was met with eye-rolling when he talked about erosion.
Most Read
in case you missed it
Subscribe to this comment's feed