VILLE PLATTE — HGTV is looking across the United States for small towns in need of a makeover. It's all for a new show named 'Home Town Takeover.' A spin-off of a current show called 'Home Town,' the hosts of the show will use their skills to help renovate an entire town. Ville Platte is hoping to be that town.
"Even though it's not the old Villle Platte of yesteryear, and we may have our problems, and our crimes; there may be a lot of things needed to be improved. But it's still home and we're proud to call it home," Mayor Jennifer Vidrine said.
Boarded up store fronts - it's a sight no one wants to see. Sadly, it's what a lot of buildings on Main Street in Ville Platte now look like. But Vidrine says that wasn't always the case.
"People would walk up and down both sides of Main Street, park at one place and walk up and down, congregate. Main street was the old Wal-Mart. The businesses that were there were generational," Vidrine explained.
In an effort to bring the buzz back, Vidrine submitted a video application to HGTV, hoping to be featured on the new show 'Home Town Takeover.'
"Main Street is like the living room of the city, and we would like ours to be pretty and quaint like it used to be," Vidrine said.
Ville Platte will be going against cities all across the United States, but that didn't stop Vidrine.
"A lot of people saying they're not going to choose us. Well you're not going to get chosen if you don't submit, so you'll never know for sure," Vidrine joked.
She says even if they don't get chosen, she is making efforts to obtain state grants for future projects.
For more information on the show, click here.
