PLAQUEMINE, La. (WAFB) - Residents of Plaquemine have one more opportunity to weigh in on the future of the city’s historic downtown district before a final revitalization plan is presented Wednesday night, August 12.
The city received a “Roadmap” grant from the Louisiana Main Street Program, led by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, totaling more than $67,000. City leaders said Plaquemine received the largest grant portion from that program.
Charley Robinson, Main Street director for the city of Plaquemine, said a consultant group from South Carolina has been assessing the downtown area as part of the grant-funded redevelopment proposal.
“This company has been gracious enough to come in and assess our downtown for a redevelopment proposal, i.e., the Roadmap Program,” Robinson said. “So, they’re going to be here collecting data from our residents. We’ve had several roundtables, focus groups to delve on different topics of economic development, property ownership, what we’re lacking, what needs improvement, what we’re excelling at.”
Robinson said the effort is also driven by economic growth approaching from neighboring areas.
“We basically have growth coming on both sides of us through West Baton Rouge, development, residential and business-wise, and then also with the new developments in Donaldsonville, which are currently spreading into the White Castle area and will eventually reach us,” Robinson said. “With all this new industry, construction, the facilities being built, there’s several things on the horizon, and we want to make sure we’re prepared for that.”
Robinson said the city also hopes to address vacant structures.
“We hope that we can do something with these buildings that have been abandoned for a while, homes; we need rooftops here,” he said.
Bella Hymel, a Brusly native, recently relocated her business, Bleu Magnolia, from her home to a storefront on Railroad Avenue near Main Street, opening in June.
“We kind of started out mainly just doing wedding invitations. That was our big thing, and it got big enough to where it was needed to have a storefront,” Hymel said. “So, we specialize in custom invitations, a lot of custom embroidery and things like that, but main focus is weddings.”
Hymel said broader revitalization could attract more small businesses and visitors to the area.
“I think bringing some of that old school charm back would bring a lot of visitors, people who were just driving through back into town, and I think it would make it more homey,” Hymel said. “It would make people want to be here.”
The final presentation of the Downtown Roadmap will be held Wednesday, Aug. 12, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Plaquemine Community Center, located at 23245 Short St. City officials said implementation could begin within a month following the meeting.
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