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LPSS to make multi-property transaction for new Central Office

LPSS releases ACT results
Posted at 8:40 AM, Apr 20, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-20 09:40:18-04

The Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) announced Tuesday that the school board has authorized the purchase and renovation of property in Lafayette for a new central office.

The office building, which will be be used for consolidation of the central office into a newer and more efficient facility, is located at 202 Rue Iberville in Lafayette.

LPSS Director of Finance Matt Dugas states, “LPSS is taking advantage of favorable market conditions to address a long-term need in a financially prudent way. Our current central office building was built in 1958 and is woefully inadequate for the needs of our modern and thriving school system.”

As authorized by the Lafayette Parish School Board, LPSS says it will sell the land and physical structures located at 326 Gauthier Road, currently the Vermilion Conference Center, to LCG allowing LCG to expand its LUS facility due to the upcoming widening of I-49.

LPSS will also sell the current location for its central office at 113 Chaplin Drive, a property comprising more than 10 acres, to the Lafayette Regional Airport which will enable further expansion for airport operations.

LPSS says it will lease the current central office location from the airport until its new facility is ready.

The Rue Iberville property to be purchased by LPSS through this transaction includes a four-story, 77,626 square-foot office building formerly known as “Energy Plaza.” Originally built in 1982, the building was updated and renovated in 2015 and offers ample parking for employees, visitors, and the public. Additional alterations and renovations will be completed on the building to prepare it to serve as LPSS’s new central office.

The School System says the multi-property transaction will not result in any net effect on the district’s annual budget or any new debt obligations.

They say the new location will allow LPSS to consolidate its operations considerably, increasing efficiency and enabling it to better serve the community.

“The impending purchase of this property allows the Lafayette Airport Commission additional options in close proximity to the new terminal to accommodate future growth,” said Chairman Paul Segura. “For some time, the airport has been somewhat ‘land-locked’ with no available acres for future development. For that reason, and looking forward to additional airport needs in the future, we feel this is a purchase that makes sense for the Lafayette Regional Airport and the Commission is pleased to be a part of this transaction.”

“This agreement is a win for LCG, LPSS and the Lafayette Regional Airport. This property will allow us to move forward with a much needed expansion of the East Wastewater Treatment Facility, further expanding our capacity to serve the citizens of Lafayette,” said Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory.

Superintendent Irma Trosclair said, “This mutually beneficial land transaction is made possible by the close cooperation of three Lafayette Parish public entities, working together to identify solutions for each of them that also makes sound financial sense. Thanks to this arrangement, LCG, LPSS and LFT will all be better positioned for future growth and expansion while maximizing available resources.”

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