Just as a bill was moving through the legislature aimed at saving it, the old Coburn's Supply building collapsed overnight.
Here are some photos:
The historic building, located near the corner of Grant and Second streets, was owned by DOTD. The state agency bought it when the design of I-49 placed on ramps there - and had plans to tear it down.
The plan has changed since then, and for the past several years the Lafayette Public Trust Finance Authority had been working with the state to transfer the property so the bit of Lafayette history could be saved.
Senate Bill 71 is under consideration in the current legislative session, and would accomplish that.
We spoke with state Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, who authored the bill, and he gave us this statement:
"We thank God that there are no reported fatalities. The bill will continue through the process as we work with DOTD and the state historic organizations to formulate the next steps," Boudreaux tells KATC.
This is a developing story.
