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May 20, 2020

From Mo’s Desk: How you can support DLU during the month of June

Friends of Downtown Lafayette, What a crazy time we find ourselves in. One minute you’re thrilled to have the entire 2020 mapped out for your non-profit organization—filled with bigger and better events and programming to bring people together Downtown—then BOOM… world wide pandemic. The world, my world, our community came to a soul crushing halt. A major slow down for so many of us, but also a major ramp up for others—the first responders, medical professionals, and grocery store clerks to name a few.

May 11, 2020

The Downtowner: April 2020

Are you getting Downtown Lafayette delivered to your inbox? The Downtowner is our monthly newsletter and the best way to stay up-to-date with in-depth news, developing stories, and personal highlights from the Downtown district of Lafayette.

Explore
April 17, 2020

DLU Member Spotlight: Amy Jones of Burning Stick Creative

Our next DLU Member Spotlight video focuses on local branding visionary, Amy Jones. Amy’s full-service advertising agency, Burning Stick Creative, is headquartered on Garfield Street—in a prime spot for live music lovers—directly across from Parc International. You can find the Burning Stick staff taking full advantage of their location during Downtown Alive!, Festival International, and the many other festivals and live events hosted at Parc International on a regular basis.

Business
April 8, 2020

Six ways to support Downtown restaurants

Downtown restaurants are getting creative during the COVID-19 crisis. Here are six ways you can support them. Why restaurants need our support right now? About 40 restaurants operate in the Downtown district, and the majority of them have temporarily closed in the past three weeks. These businesses are a huge part of the culture and economy of our district, owned and operated by local residents with family ties here in Acadiana. They are small businesses, and many of them cannot continue to operate without a steady flow of revenue.

Business
March 10, 2020

Rachel Holland named Director of Downtown Development and Planning

Rachel Holland joined Lafayette’s Downtown Development Authority as Director of Downtown Development and Planning on March 9. Holland, who has experience in both the public and private sectors, will facilitate Downtown real estate development and investment and serve as a liaison for private industry with Lafayette City-Parish government.

Development
February 14, 2020

DLU Member Spotlight: Nathanael Johnson of Rêve Coffee Roasters

Nathanael Johnson is the owner of Rêve Coffee Roasters on Jefferson Street and a member of DLU since 2018. Rêve—French for “dream”—came to Downtown Lafayette in 2014 and quickly emerged as more than just a coffee shop. The café also its own beans, which have become a staple in grocery stores, and a point of pride when served in homes and restaurants throughout Acadiana. Rêve also frequently collaborates with other members of the Downtown community to host art exhibits, small concerts, latte art competitions, and trivia nights. It is a gathering place for a diverse crowd of professionals, artists, and caffeine addicts of all kinds.

Business
January 29, 2020

2019 Year-in-review: Creating momentum for a new decade of growth in Downtown

2019 was a transformative year for Downtown Lafayette, one that will mark the beginning of a new decade of momentum for the heart of Acadiana. Our organization has undergone exciting changes, beginning with the appointment of Anita Begnaud as the CEO of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Downtown Lafayette Unlimited (DLU) in October of 2018. Anita hit the ground running by reinvigorating DLU’s membership and programming efforts, hiring Maureen Dugas Foster as the first ever Director of DLU, and acting as the spokesperson for a list of catalytic projects in Downtown—from the renovation of the Old Federal Courthouse and the construction of Vermilion Lofts and Buchanan Heights, to efforts addressing Downtown’s pressing infrastructure issues.

Business
Development
Events
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January 14, 2020

Photos: Halo Building Ribbon Cutting Celebration

Downtown Lafayette recently celebrated the completion of a new facade improvement at the Halo Building on 113 Clinton Street. The improved Halo Building facade features artwork by muralist, Brett Chigoy, and the ribbon cutting was the kickoff event to the first Second Saturday ArtWalk of 2020. The Halo Building’s new look was made possible by a grant from the Downtown Development Authority, through DDA’s Facade Improvement Program.

Business
December 4, 2019

What does it mean to “shop small” in Lafayette?

Small Business Saturday: Supporting the local economy by shopping locally. Most people are familiar with the post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Like it or not, these holiday shopping dates are here to stay, but many who participate do not realize the impact that their spending has—or doesn’t have—on our local economy. Enter Small Business Saturday.

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Business
October 22, 2019

Downtown Lafayette to become the “Merry & Bright” destination for the Christmas season

Downtown Lafayette will become the perfect destination for lovers of Christmas this December. In an effort to spread seasonal joy throughout the Acadiana region, DLU has committed to creating a month-long series of family-friendly holiday events in Downtown Lafayette. The seasonal celebration, called “A Merry & Bright Downtown Christmas” will feature a Christmas tree decorating contest, multiple concerts, a competition for best holiday window display, pictures with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a “North Pole” installation in Parc International—all taking place throughout the month of December.

Events
October 11, 2019

Downtown has a new playground

The Kiwanis Club of Acadiana celebrated a significant milestone this October. During the Zydeco Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, October 12th, the club held a ribbon cutting for a brand new playground in Downtown Lafayette. The playground, dubbed “Harmony Park,” is the result of years of fundraising and organization by the Kiwanis Club of Acadiana, a chapter of the global Kiwanis organization of volunteers that is “dedicated to improving the world—one child and one community at a time.” Construction on the playground began on Saturday, October 5th and was completed just in time for the Zydeco Pancake Breakfast.

Development
October 9, 2019

The value of investing in Downtown

Why it’s important to maintain the spaces we loveDowntown Lafayette is a special place. Our city center functions as the setting and backdrop for many of our community’s favorite festivals and events. It is an entertainment hub for the Acadiana region, and frequently the first place that tourists and other travelers will visit in the area. Yet, with the fondness our residents and visitors have for Downtown, it might come as a surprise that our community has taken a laissez-faire approach to maintenance of Downtown’s built environment for decades.

Development
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