For Immediate Release
October 12, 2007

Contact:  Lessie House
337.948.9035

Changing landscape
Lieutenant Governor tours main street, offers advice

Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu took a few hours Monday afternoon to tour some of Opelousas' downtown success stories with time to visit a few soon to be added along the way.
"Every chance I get I like to tour our Main Street communities," Landrieu said between visits to Le Zinc Main Street Bar and Restaurant at one end of Main Street and Benny's Supermarket at the other.

"I think this is great for Opelousas, especially our new business start-ups," said Opelousas Main Street Manager Lessie Handy. "Hopefully from this we will see new businesses get the grants, the support they deserve."

Opelousas, which became a Main Street community in 1992, is currently one of 28 such programs statewide. The city's program has been credited with helping 62 new businesses get started since its founding and creating 313 jobs in the process.

The Main Street program works by providing communities with the know-how and resources that can be used to help revitalize their historic commercial areas by focusing on business development, urban design, the arts and promotions. Its best known programs are facade grants, which over the years, have helped dozens of Opelousas businesses freshen up their appearance.

Ray Scriber, the state's Main Street coordinator, said the program also offers everything from interior design assistance to economic development advice.

"It is all provided for free," said Scriber, who joined Landrieu on his tour. "Our program is doing great, we are getting a great return on our dollars."

"We have created 3,000 jobs in the last six years," Landrieu said. Landrieu said Louisiana is unique in that it has so many historically significant downtowns."Some of the original architecture is so good that if you can just get out of its way, great things can happen," Landrieu said. "A couple of buildings get fixed up. It changes the outlook of the entire street. Each one spins off the next. It makes a real difference over time."

Landrieu toured one of those potential spin-offs during his tour. Harvey Weir with Le Zinc took a few minutes to show off a largely abandoned building beside the restaurant. Landrieu liked what he saw, envisioning the space broken up into areas for artists, musicians and others. "You will find people are interested in moving back downtown," Landrieu told Weir, discussing a similar project he had seen in New Iberia. "Once the space is created, people will move in."

The two took a few minutes to discuss state and federal tax credits for restoration and new market development. Landrieu also promised to put Weir in contact with other businesses that have been through the process.

During his tour, Landrieu also stopped to speak with Leroy Alexander, who has just opened Alexander's Construction at 109 S. Main St., and Latricia Tyler, who has just opened Good Hands Homecare a few blocks away on Grolee Street.

Handy said these businesses, created by local residents to meet local needs, are the future of the city. "They are very interested in revitalizing our downtown," Handy said. For more information on the Opelousas Main Street Program, call Handy at 948-8035.