More Revitalization Talks

A couple of years ago Mary Tutwiler did an awesome cover story for The Independent about the various Mardi Gras traditions in the neighborhoods of old Lafayette: Fightingville, Wine Alley, Zip, Veasey, Longbeach. That story stuck with me and ever since reading it, I have been facinated with old Lafayette and it's neighborhood names. I mean - Fightingville....wow. Ok, so yesterday we mentioned the revitalization efforts of LLRA with regard to McComb-Veasey and now today, Amanda McElfresh of the Daily Advertiser is reporting about another effort to revitalize La Place de Creole (bordered by University, Congress, the railroad tracks and Cameron. See map). In her story she recounts the times that Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway and Ella Fitzgerald each performed in that very neighborhood but now sadly, it's fallen on some hard socio-economic times. Councilman Brandon Shelvin is hoping to change that by designating it a "Lafayette in a Century" neighborhood and putting in place a liason between the city and the residents to work together on revitalization ideas so that they can present a plan to the planning commission on redevelopment. Amanda's whole story can be found here.

Click on the map to see larger size.