LAFAYETTE, La. — Downtown Lafayette is a lively destination for both locals and tourists, but that popularity also brings some wear and tear. However, a new program aims to freshen things up.
Funding has been approved for a Downtown Ambassador Program that wants to hire full-time workers to maintain the area. These workers will focus on tasks such as:
- Cleaning up litter
- Maintaining landscaping
- Pressure washing buildings
Currently, two full-time staff members at Lafayette Consolidated Government manage downtown maintenance, but the program hopes to hire four or more people to help with the workload.
KATC spoke with Kevin Blanchard with the Downtown Lafayette Development Authority about the need for daily maintenance.
“We have a lot of activity that happens here throughout the year, more than 2 million visits a year," Blanchard says. "So that wear and tear adds up and if you’re not out there on the street repairing things, fixing things, cleaning things, and getting it while it's a small problem before it becomes a big problem.”
Funding for the program will come from a penny sales tax generated by sales within the downtown area. According to our partners at the Advocatelast month the Lafayette Downtown Economic Development District also approved Lafayette's Downtown Development Authority's funding request to fund the program. Approving $375,000 over three years.
This funding, as well as sales made in the downtown area, will go towards the ambassadors to work seven days a week.
They will also be trained to assist people who are experiencing homelessness by offering resources and guidance. Eventually, the program hopes to add caseworkers to help address their needs.
One local business downtown, Cocodrie Collective, is happy about the extra help.
“Storefront appeal is about 60% of the business," Sydney Hemphill said. "People don’t want to go into places that don’t look nice and don’t feel friendly, so having a dedicated team to kind of help revitalize the downtown area and make it more visually appealing, I don’t know how it can't help business.”
Hemphill also mentioned how it can help the litter problem around stores that often is left to the businesses to clean up.
“Definitely on the sidewalks right here you know, there's trash every now and then. There's a lot of issues when cigarette butts, especially after the bars close up that doesn’t get swept up or when the street sweepers come by, it all kind of just pushes to the side and doesn't get dealt with after."
She believes the new program will be a positive step forward for downtown.
“Downtown is so full of life and there's so many amazing people down here and the businesses are so wonderful, that I think it's time we get a dedicated team to help keep it beautiful."
The goal is for this program to be fully operational by Festival International 2025.
