In New Iberia, work is underway at an empty commercial site. The place, the old Kmart building on Admiral Doyle and South Lewis Street, has been vacant since December 2016.
Now that there is construction, neighbors are starting to talk.
"It looks like a big construction job’s going on right now, might be a grocery store might be coming later on that I heard," says Arthur Trahan.
Though city officials haven’t confirmed anything, everyone who spoke with KATC thinks they know what will fill the space.
"I heard a few rumors around town that it’s going to be a Rouses," says another New Iberia resident, Seth Judice.
Richard Paul Raymond agreed. "We heard that Rouses is going to be coming over and take over the building, and I think they bought the building. They bought the building already as far as I’ve heard," he says.
Their hope is for a big grocer to bring jobs to the area and make their lives more convenient.
"Around here I think we need a little grocery store to get people back to work," says Trahan.
"We have stores but not that many, all we have is Walmart across the bayou and some little local stores. That’s about it. We don’t have a major shopping store here in New Iberia,"
The city confirmed to KATC that a developer bought the building and plans to split it up into multiple commercial businesses. Officials say a more specific announcement could come in the next few weeks.
