Tag: Main Street

A New Board is Hoping to Revitalize Downtown Houma

Recently, a new nine-member board created by the Terrebonne Parish Council has begun its mission to revive and revitalize downtown Houma, according to this article from Houmatoday.

 Created earlier this year by the Louisiana State Legislature as a result of a bill introduced by Rep. Tanner Magee, R-Houma, this board has begun to appoint new members, such as Houma’s Kevin Champagne, in its effort to bring more shops, restaurants, and foot traffic to Houma’s potentially vibrant downtown scene. The board, which has yet to have all 9 of its members appointed for their 6-year terms, has a starting budget of about $1 million, and it holds the authority to purchase, repair, and sell property and buildings in downtown Houma in its efforts to inject life into its culture and economy. This board would also have authority within the Houma Restoration District, which is defined by the law as Main and Park avenues from Morgan Street to Grand Caillou Road.

Members of this board will each serve a six-year term without being paid, and these members will be appointed by the Terrebonne Parish Council, Terrebonne Parish President, state lawmakers representing the area, the Chamber of Commerce, the Houma Downtown Development Corporation, and the Houma Historic Preservation District.

In order for Houma’s downtown area to build back up to its full potential after suffering various degrees of detrimental loss from recent Hurricanes, members of the board will have to be determined, spirited, and supplied with an enthusiastic vision of what Main Street could look like in its full economic glory. Luckily, one such advocate for this future was recently appointed by the Terrebonne Parish Council to this cause after he volunteered. Kevin Champagneis the head of MacDonnell Children’s Services, an organization that provides shelter and an array of other programs for youths who come from troubled homes.

Champagne voiced his support for revitalizing downtown Houma by saying, “t​​he whole purpose of the board is for historic preservation and economic development, and those are two things that are important to me. I’m on the chamber, I’m part of the Rotary Club and just invested in the community. I grew up here and I want to make sure we leave something for my children and the community.” When asked what sparked his interest in volunteering to be a member of the downtown revitalization board, Champagne attributed the reason to his being a resident of Houma’s east side, and he wanted to ensure that his portion of the town was represented.

One potentially key milestone in the effort to reshape downtown Houma is the potential deal between the State of Louisiana and Terrebonne Parish to swap Main Street for another road, which would allow the present Main Street to no longer be plagued by heavy amounts of traffic, which according to business owners has dissuaded patrons and shoppers from the area.

The creator of House Bill 780, Rep. Tanner Magee, is an advocate for this approach since it redesigns the traffic and flow of downtown Houma, potentially setting the stage for a comeback. When speaking on this vision, Magee said, “I’m not slouching on what we currently have — I mean, Ida took a toll, but it probably wasn’t all that great before, so I think we need to get it going again. That’s kind of the dream here, to have a vibrant downtown with lots of buildings, lots of diversity, and kind of the people who work and live down here. The idea is to get all these [derelict properties] back into private hands and back into commerce, but if there’s something that’s being stuck, that this entity can buy it, maybe renovate it or even do some innovative ideas like some sort of business incubator.”

Another stakeholder in the future of downtown Houma is Parish Councilwoman Jessica Domangue, who is from Houma. Councilwoman Domangue expressed her excitement by saying, “for us as a government, Terrebonne Parishis so big and Main Street is one little piece of that, and so the focus of government cannot always be on Main Street. It’s going to bring a freshness, a new perspective because let’s be honest with ourselves, we’ve been trying to do the same thing over and over and over for many years and it just hasn’t worked.”

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Downtown Thibodaux Main Street is Revitalized

The historic downtown area of Thibodaux, Louisiana has been restored, rejuvenated, and  preserved, as reported by the LaFourcheGazette this summer.

The project that entailed masonry, industrial, commercial, and community design had been spear-headed by the non-profit Downtown Thibodaux Main Street Incorporation and its Executive Director, Danielle Stein. Known as the “Wonder Woman” of Main St, Stein became the  Executive Director of Thibodaux Main Street, Inc in January of 2018, where she had a clear vision of what the Downtown hub could become in the following years.

Although Thibodaux Main Street Inc. was established back in 2002, it wasn’t until 2009 that they were recognized state-wide as an official “Louisiana Main Street,” which is a highly-regarded state coordinated program.

Prior to becoming the Executive Director of the Main Street effort, Stein had become increasingly more involved in the Thibodaux community during her time at Thibodaux’s own Donner-Peltier Distillers. That passion to be an involved, familiar face of the local community projected her forward to becoming the Ambassador of the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce and a board member.

Stein then began advocating for the needs of the smaller businesses of Thibodaux and assisting in downtown initiatives. She mentions in her profile interview, conducted by the LaFourche Gazette, that she wants the local community to not only take great pride in where they live but also understand the grander significance of supporting local small business by regularly shopping downtown. Stein added, We have to reinvest our money in the community where we live, because we want to grow and thrive.”

During the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, when businesses in the Downtown Thibodaux area were closed due to Phase 1 restrictions, the local business leaders began to find alternative ways they could service their customer base. This resulted in the establishment of curbside pickup and delivery options, which garnered praise from the customers. While thankful for the recognition, Stein wants the community to be aware that to best support Main Street, these services will have to continue to be utilized throughout the calendar year.

Earlier this summer, as announced by Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and Louisiana Main Street, 23 Louisiana communities had been designated as 2020 Accredited Main Street American programs. This status of accreditation is Main Street America’s top-tier recognition demonstrating a commitment to a comprehensive revitalization of commercial districts as well as a proven track record of successfully implementing the Main Street Approach.

Regarding the 23 communities receiving accreditation and recognition, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser was quoted by the Miden-Press Herald as saying, ““Our small business owners are the heartbeat of our Main Street communities. They give the community its sense of place and character and provide the uniqueness that sets one community apart from another.”

This recent accreditation is far from being the only accolade Thibodaux or Lafourche Parish has receive in recent years, as both have been the recipients of a USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards nomination for “Best Small Town Food Scene” for 2020, where they took 3rd place.

Stein recognizes that from a national perspective, that acknowledgement says a lot about the Thibodaux community and the parish as a whole, adding a new motivation for the Main Street restoration project.

In the 2020 summer, a beautification campaign was implemented, resulting in restoration of the Downtown Thibodaux sidewalks, an application for a mural installation grant being filed, and promotional yard signs and window decals being placed all throughout the area, promoting the Downtown Thibodaux scene’s revitalization with a new slogan: “Downtown Thibodaux – We’re Open.”

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