Project Details

Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA)

A Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) is a designated area that allows patrons 21-years and older to purchase alcoholic beverages in a special cup from approved businesses within the DORA and carry them outside to be consumed within the boundaries of the DORA. The drinks may be taken around the DORA to enjoy one of the many downtown events, shop at participating retailers within the boundary, to relax outdoors, or to have a drink while waiting for a reservation. The city’s goal is encouraging a vibrant setting that promotes economic development and the overall experience of downtown. DORA will help to boost tourism, increase revenue for retailers and restaurants within the boundary helping to grow the local economy.

Lafayette Theater

Built in 1938 as an urban cinema, the Lafayette Theatre was purchased by the City of Lafayette to stabilize its use as a leading venue for arts and entertainment downtown. Along with the Long Center for the Performing Arts, these two facilities will complement each other providing greater choices to host a variety of shows for Greater Lafayette’s citizens. After careful study, the City is planning for extensive upgrades and renovations to enhance the user experience. Architectural firm, Cordogan Clark, will formulate a masterplan to lay the groundwork for a future renovation and revitalization project. In order to do this, it is necessary to determine the community’s programmatic needs for use of the Theater. The needs will then be compared to the existing built infrastructure of the Theater. The results of this exercise, along with the findings of the building assessment completed in 2020, will determine a proposed scope of work for future construction. Upon completion of the masterplan process, the City will be ready to enter directly into the creation of design documents for renovation.

Loeb Stadium

Loeb Stadium takes its inspiration from the existing 1940s-era Art Deco architecture through the use of an architectural precast concrete colonnade, traditional brick facades, and exposed structural steel. Design elements were chosen to maximize the stadium’s use as a multi-purpose facility for baseball, soccer, concerts, and other community events. The design rotated the existing field 180 degrees to a preferred northeast orientation, moved home plate to the current center field area and shifted the stadium’s main entrance to the corner of Main and Wallace streets. The municipally owned stadium is home to the Prospect League’s Lafayette Aviators and the Lafayette Jefferson High School baseball team. Between lawn seating and stadium seating, the new facility features seating for 2,600 spectators with a large open concourse design where visitors can have an open view of game action at all times. Loeb Stadium is a multi-use facility hosting other sporting events like soccer, community events, family movie nights and concerts.

The Luna Flats
The Luna Flats, by local developer Andy Gutwein, is located in the heart of downtown Lafayette at 631 Main Street. It has 10,000 square feet of retail space with direct access from Main Street. Above the retail space are 98 apartment units which include studio, 1 Bedroom and 2 Bedroom units (total of 141 Beds) and include 112 covered parking spaces. About its name – Luna Flats: At this site on November 20, 1913, the Luna Theater was opened to serve the Greater Lafayette Community. It opened as “photo-play theater” and featured seating for 549 patrons and stood out among its competitors which included three other theaters in the 600 block of Main Street. The Luna Theater was used as a reference point for many of the surrounding businesses and now The Luna Flats mixed use development is ready to do the same.

John Purdue Block

This is a new downtown project being developed by Third Street Ventures and Barrett & Stokley for 14-22 N. 2nd Street. This will be a nearly $57M, 6-story building project consisting of 147 high-end multi-family apartment units on 4-stories (20% Studio apartments, 60% 1-Bedroom apartments and 20% 2-bedroom apartments) above 2-stories of parking garage that accommodates 157 spaces for tenant and commercial use. The project also includes 5150 sq. ft. of first-floor commercial/retail space and a 5600 sq. ft. amenity deck with a pool to be built above the parking garage overlooking the Wabash River. The project will be constructed to the north and west sides of the existing historic John Purdue Block building, which will be protected, the interior of which will be renovated and the exterior repaired and rehabilitated.

Historic Jefferson Neighborhood

The Historic Jefferson Neighborhood has historical significance to the rail history and early growth of the City of Lafayette. The neighborhood was named after Jefferson High School, located on the neighborhood’s eastern boundary, which still exists but no longer serves as a school. The neighborhood is a mix of homeowners and renters. In general, this neighborhood is transitioning due to its proximity to downtown. This process is important as a proactive step in advance of future development pressures. Throughout this process, we heard many ideas and concerns from a diverse representation of neighborhood residents, business and property owners, and other partners involved in the Historic Jefferson Neighborhood. Together, these stakeholders influenced this plan’s opportunities and recommendations, and they initiated the steps to start a coalition focused on providing the Historic Jefferson Neighborhood with additional capacity to implement projects.

Lincoln Neighborhood
Lincoln Neighborhood has historical significance in the growth and development of the City of Lafayette. The neighborhood was named after Lincoln School located at 14th and Salem St., which still exists, but no longer functions as a school. This plan studied the Lincoln Neighborhood bounded by Greenbush Street to the north, 14th Street to the east, Union Street to the south, and Fannon Drive/the CSX Railroad to the west. This plan also studied a larger area of influence - the "Study Area" that includes areas immediately adjacent to these neighborhood boundaries, approximately one block in each direction. Residents, community leaders, business owners and others are a part of the process and conversation for the neighborhood that sets forth a vision and identifies projects that can improve and enhance the neighborhood, such as development, preservation, housing, transportation, open space, access, and programs.

Wabash Neighborhood

The Wabash Neighborhood has been a vital part of Lafayette’s economy and culture since the city’s founding. A neighborhood with industrial beginnings, immigrant heritage, and a southern gateway to the city, Wabash continues to play a part in Lafayette’s vibrancy. Located just a short walk from Downtown Lafayette, is a place with a strong history and sense of community where residential and industrial uses have co-existed for decades. The neighborhood is home to multiple generations of families, young families, and couples, with a split of ownership and rental properties. It is a collection of people – artists, craftspeople, entrepreneurs, business owners, and more – creating a unique and robust micro-economy. While this neighborhood is small, its active neighborhood association, Habitat for Humanity, and Wabash CAN steering committee together create an energetic group of engaged residents, artists, entrepreneurs, and advocates sharing a passion for improving the Wabash neighborhood and supporting its residents.

Main Street Streetscape Phase V

Main Street, downtown’s most prominent corridor for commerce and retail, is targeted for improvements beginning May 2024 that will enhance the visitor experience, create more public spaces, balance the needs for all types and modes of travel and establish the area as a destination to encourage more economic activity. This project, Main Street Streetscape Phase V, has given the City the opportunity to create a more pedestrian friendly environment that will result in more downtown visits and improve the look and value of the area. Plans are to improve Main Street approximately from 8th Street to mid-block between 9th and 10th Streets and 9th Street from Ferry to Columbia Streets.