LAFAYETTE PARISH — It may look like a wide stretch of empty space now, but local tourism officials say the intersection of West Congress Street and Cajundome Boulevard holds major potential. A proposed indoor sports complex valued at up to $40 million could soon begin development at the site.
On Wednesday, the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission (LCVC) voted to keep the project moving forward. Plans to construct a 150,000-square-foot facility—featuring 10 basketball courts and 20 volleyball courts, with flexibility to host other indoor sports as well—progressed via a vote at the meeting.
“At the end of the day, if we’re able to make this happen, I think it’ll be a generational-type facility,” said Ben Berthelot, president and CEO of Lafayette Travel. “The impact it’ll have will live on for generations to come.”
Berthelot, who has been working on the project since 2021, said the complex could attract as many as 140,000 visitors per year. The facility would also include meeting spaces and event areas, offering additional value for both athletic and non-sporting events.
“We’ve needed a full-service hotel for a long time,” Berthelot added. “Whether or not that happens is a separate issue, but everybody likes to talk about it as one, because it’s a need.”
While no construction start date has been announced, the complex is expected to complement the city’s existing outdoor sports facilities in Youngsville, Broussard, Scott and at Pelican Park.
“We are really strong on the outdoor sports market,” Berthelot said. “But we conducted a study over three years ago to look at where the gaps were—and our largest gap is on the indoor side.”
Berthelot said he hopes to see the indoor complex become a reality within the next few years.
You can read more about this project and UL's involvement in this article from our partners at The Advocate.
