New developments are in the works for a brand, new Heymann Performing Arts Center.
Members of Lafayette's Consolidated Government are working with city officials to find a new location for the performing arts building.
Jackie Lyle, Executive Director of Performing Arts Serving Acadiana (PASA), said there is a tentative location, but nothing is set in stone.
“What it means for the community remains to be seen because we haven’t come up with a plan for the building," Lyle said. "We don’t have a design for it, it’s really still in the idea phase.”
Creative Director of Basin Arts, Clare Cook, said convenience and accessibility should be top priorities with this new development.
“Being at a theater that was surrounded by easy access to places to stay, places to eat, places to hang out, places to go, that was like a really important need for the people coming into the city as well as the people who are attending the performances," Cook said.
President of Lafayette's NAACP chapter, Ravis Martinez, said he hopes the arts center will be built Downtown or on the North side of the city.
“We need to bring transparency to the process so LCG, UL, Downtown Development Authority, Northgate, Northway Economic Development all these different entities need to bring this to the public and let the public actually see what’s going on," Martinez said.
Organizers say if all goes as planned, a new arts center will help boost economic development in the city.
"Economic development is the backbone for any city, any municipality, any locality," Martinez said. "In order for a community to grow, you need strong economic development, you need a strong workforce, you need strong companies and you need living wages so folks can also live, work and play in the community that they actually reside in."
Tentatively, the re-built Heymann Center will seat more than 2,000 people and is set to sit on the corner of Cajundome Boulevard and Congress Street.
