Downtown Lafayette and the area known as “Four Corners” could each get a facelift if a proposal touted by City-Parish President Joey Durel becomes reality.

Durel, in coordination with District 3 Council Member Brandon Shelvin, wants to ask the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority to build a police substation and commercial plaza at Cameron Street and University Avenue. In exchange, the city would return the old federal courthouse downtown to the LPTFA on the condition it would develop the area into a mix-used commercial and residential property.

The LPTFA funds local projects, but receives no tax dollars. It originally purchased the downtown federal courthouse from the federal government, but gifted it to the city, Durel says.

Downtown is missing that one thing to get it to the next level

Durel says the idea is to clean up the area known for the Lesspay Motel and attract middle class residents to downtown.

"We know that without a strong residential component, that property values will not go up — that downtown is missing that one thing to get it to the next level," Durel said Wednesday during his Lafayette Live segment with Nathan & Bernie in the Morning.

Listen to the full segment here:

Durel will ask the City-Parish Council to support opening negotiations with the LPTFA at Tuesday's meeting.

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