The city of Lafayette will spend up to seven-million dollars in the next several months to replace sidewalks, curbs, and gutters along several downtown streets.
Economic Development director Dennis Carson says streetscape improvements began in 2005, mainly around the courthouse square.
They’ve since expanded the projects to include more of downtown.
Carson says it’s a way to do more than just fix deteriorating infrastructure.
“It’s also a way to add some more vitality to the streets and also some pedestrian amenities" says Carson. "We do benches and trash cans and public art and such. It helps bring people downtown. It makes it look aesthetically better and helps improve property values.”
The first phase will be done on portions of Main Street, Columbia Street, South Street, 2nd Street and 4th Street.
The second covers a stretch of Main Street, from 4th Street to 8th Street.
Carson says the work is expected to start this summer, and continue into 2016.
He says funding for both projects is coming from a tax increment financing district east of downtown.
