Moncus Park is moving forward with their plan to create a central park for the city of Lafayette.
The park will be set to open after the design and construction of several additional park elements are complete. Previously, the grand opening for the park has been set for early 2020.
Officials say that Moncus Park has secured the funding to move forward with the new features, including a playground, a treehouse, an amphitheater, and a Louisiana-themed interactive water fountain. These funds were secured over the last two years during the current phase of construction.
One of the features, the treehouses have been linked to Treehouse Master Pete Nelson. Last year, Nelson was in Lafayette at a park event and Former Lafayette Mayor-President Joey Durel confirmed the project being done by Nelson.
Nelson is known for his creative and stunning treehouses. His work has been featured in a television series on Animal Planet that showcased treehouse builds from start to finish.
A community-wide campaign helped keep the former “UL Horse Farm” property from commercial development. The city purchased the farm in 2012.
Lafayette Central Park, Inc. (LCP), was founded as a non-profit conservancy to oversee the design, development, and operation of this new worldclass park. LCP gathered over 7,400 opinions from Acadiana residents over the course of a year, and this vision for the Park’s master plan was adopted by the City-Parish Council in 2014.
With a plan in place, LCP began raising donations to fund construction.
Phase 1 of construction was able to begin in 2018 after a gift from James Devin Moncus to name the Park. Phase 1 includes a new 4-acre lake, a great lawn, over two miles of new trails, a dog park, as well as much of the infrastructure and utilities for future developments.
“After many discussions within the community and with our benefactors, the board of directors felt as though adding additional features as soon as possible will make Moncus Park’s Grand Opening even more ‘grand’,” said Lenny Lemoine, chairman of the board. “Having these important play and entertainment spaces in place will make it an even more exciting destination for our region.”
“We are so grateful for the incredible generosity from our donors that allows us to bring these additional areas of the Park to life,” said Elizabeth ‘EB’ Brooks, Moncus Park’s executive director. “We know the community is eager to see what we have been building, and we’re excited to celebrate an even more complete park when we get these pieces in place!”
Features within Phase 1 construction are expected to be completed in 2020 and 2021.
Information on the park’s progress and plans for Grand Opening can be seen here: www.moncuspark.org
