Robideaux Releases RFP for Buchanan Redevelopment Site
Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG), on behalf of the City and Parish of Lafayette is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of the Buchanan Garage and associated parcels of land, located in Downtown Lafayette.
In his cover letter, Mayor-President Robideaux invites potential developers to submit a proposal for the site that could be a future mixed-use development and cites a growing interest for new commercial, retail and housing spaces in the urban core. “Downtown Lafayette is currently experiencing an exciting revitalization – with Waitr relocating an office of 200 employees to the district, an impressive new entertainment venue (Rock ‘N’ Bowl), well-established and new restaurants alike seeing great success, a new residential development recently breaking ground and another mixed-use development in the planning phase.” He goes on to say Downtown also serves as a business district and a growing entertainment hub, making the potential for the site all the more attractive to developers. “These factors combined with the proximity to the University, the interest for additional commercial, retail and housing options in the Downtown area continues to grow.”
This approximately 1.2 acre site, comprised of both parish-owned and city-owned property, is located in the heart of Downtown Lafayette. With frontage on Jefferson (Downtown’s main corridor), Buchanan and West Convent Streets, the site offers incredible development potential for residential housing, hotel, retail, office and parking. It is located in an Opportunity Zone, Downtown Development District and a State Cultural District, allowing the ability to stack multiple incentives depending on the proposed redevelopment.
Final proposals are due LCG by June 14, 2019. All information for the Buchanan Redevelopment RFP, including schedules and technical information, can be found at www.LafayetteLA.gov/BuchananRFP.
This RFP is the second time in a year that LCG has sought to redevelop an out-of-commission public site. In February of 2017, an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) was opened up for the site of the Old Federal Courthouse. That project was awarded in June of 2018 to develop a mixed-use commercial and residential complex. The project is currently in the design phase and is expected to break ground this summer.
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) held a workshop in Lafayette in 2017 and identified the “Old Federal Courthouse” as a potential catalytic project. At the time of the OFC RFQ release Robideaux said of the site, “The potential exists to generate much-needed revenue for this prime piece of real estate, and I’m very interested seeing this property returned to commerce.” This 2017 workshop with ULI was one of several efforts under Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux to address the parish’s budget crisis and return former public spaces to commerce.