Moving Forward

Building vital communities is integral to maintaining economic growth and to full realization of St. Landry’s important cultural assets, development leaders say. That’s why working with community business and governmental leaders is a high priority for St. Landry economic development, and why community leaders are finding new ways to reach their goals.

The strategic development plan for the parish identifies “building strong and resilient local communities” as one of its most important aspects.

“The key purpose of this priority is to provide the assistance needed to create growth opportunities within our communities, while involving their partners—including chambers, civic groups, involved citizens, business owners and others who have a stake in their community’s future,” according to Bill Rodier, director of St. Landry economic development.

He says that communities across the parish are beginning to take a hard look at their potential and to find innovative ways to move forward and that development and governmental leaders will continue to help each community identify its needs and potential and to create an achievable vision for its future

Rodier noted, for example, that a Place Making Task Force comprised of businesses from the Sunset, Grand Coteau and Arnaudville area “has established project priorities that will result in business growth” in coming months and years.

During the coming year, the group will focus on at least three priority projects including a Hanging Garden project to develop an art-scape along the Highway 93 corridor, a Sunset High School redevelopment project, and the St Luke Hospital cultural immersion project, which received a big boost this month with the final governmental approval needed to convert the old hospital into a French immersion center.

In addition, Grand Coteau is moving forward on infrastructure developments along its business corridor, and, according to Rodier, “engineering plans are in the process with several of their priority projects that will dramatically enhance this development.”.

In Port Barre, work continues on “proactive measures that will help the community prepare for what promises to be a robust and bright future of substantial growth and development,” he said.

New development at the Port of Krotz Springs and the nearby Hazelwood Energy oil storage and blending project hold “huge promise” for that community. “We must be sure that the town and area can capitalize fully on opportunities these projects will bring,” Rodier said.

Innovative reuse of a lumber mill in LeMoyen is an example of how a community can turn what 

might have been a negative into something positive, he said.

The economic development agency is also working with the leadership of Eunice “on how we can best help them to identify and progress priorities for their community.”

Rodier noted also that “as the parish seat and our transportation hub, Opelousas falls directly into the middle of some of key parish priorities for 2017, including development of the I-49 corridor, revitalizing its downtown, and improving education parishwide.

“It is imperative that we as a parish make meaningful progress in these areas over 2017,” Rodier said in a report to the economic development board. “It will take a collective and concerted effort from across the parish to advance these priorities, but the effort will pay big dividends for the parish overall in the long-term.”