KAREN LAGRANGE COX
In January 2023, Ray Bourque will be sworn in for his second term as Mayor of the City of Broussard.
In meeting with Bourque today, he said Broussard is growing at a rapid pace and is proud of the economic growth of the city. He is a strong believer in putting incentives in place to be proactive when businesses want to locate in Broussard.
Certified sites and retail ready sites were put into place during Bourque’s first term as mayor. These sites in Broussard had to go through an accreditation program through the Louisiana Economic Development (LED) for certification.
There are four certified sites for commercial industrial businesses. A certified site has to meet specific criteria by Louisiana Economic Development (LED). From the OpportunityLouisiana.gov website, it states, “The LED Certified Sites program qualifies industrial sites based on zoning restrictions, title work, environmental studies, soil analysis and surveys.”
Broussard Economic Development Corporation (BEDC), Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) and One Acadiana all contributed to getting the certification from LED for the four certified sites in Broussard. SafeSource Direct is utilizing property at one of these sites. Aquaspersions, who has recently partnered of SafeSource Direct, is in the process of building at the same site.
There are also four retail ready sites available in Broussard for development. From the City of Broussard website, “The Retail Ready Initiative is to identify strategically located sites which are then expedited for restaurant and retail development”. All four sites are available for development.
Bourque discussed the importance of providing a quality of life for Broussard citizens. He said Broussard invests in things that makes it a good place to live. Among those things include job creation by bringing in new business, St. Julien Park for recreation, the downtown initiative by way of Envision Broussard which is to expand old infrastructure which will help with drainage and water issues along with beautician along Broussard’s Main Street.
Envision Broussard is a three phase project created during Bourque’s first term as mayor. From the Develop Broussard website, “Envision Broussard incorporates ideas to create a vision for a true city center that tackles infrastructure issues while encouraging economic activity. Officials hope that the reinvigorated Downtown area in Broussard will blend historical structures with new development, coax economic growth in the area, and connect Main Street to main thoroughfares in the area through sidewalks and bike lanes.”
Phase one of Envision Broussard was for drainage and infrastructure on Main Street from Bernard Road to Clara Street. That phase also included beautification along that section of Main Street that included the new Gateway Sign, sidewalks and lighting.
Phase two will address the expansion of infrastructure on Main Street from Clara Street to St. Desporres Street which is the downtown area of Broussard. Bourque advised the drainage and water pipes are sixty years old.
Phase three will also focus on the expansion of infrastructure which will be from St. Desporres to Albertsons Parkway. In that area there is a ditch that is collapsing and about ten homes on Sugar Drive that have flooded multiple times. Phase three will address these issues.
Some positive news, Bourque said in 2022, Broussard will close out the year with the highest sales tax collected since 2015. This means more sales are happening in Broussard.
Regarding Bourque’s upcoming term as mayor, he wants to look to the future of Broussard by staying committed to economic development, initiative and growth for the city while focusing on providing services needed to provide residents with a quality of life in Broussard. He is committed to safety by continuing to fund Broussard’s police and fire departments. A strong police department and fire department helps to achieve the safety commitment. Broussard is known to be the seventh safest city in Louisiana.
Bourque said, “The real key to success is forming partnerships with organizations that help to bring resources to the city”.