ST. MARTIN PARISH — Plans to enhance the fairgrounds in St. Martinville have been in development for nearly three years, according to Mayor Jason Willis. This initiative aims to unite the residents of both the north and south sides of the city, creating a central gathering place for festivals, events, and social activities.
Mayor Willis emphasized the importance of the project, stating, "This grant means so much to us because it allows us to put this money into our fairgrounds, and we love that because it’s the middle of our city. It brings the north side and the south side of the city together so we can unite the city."
The project gained momentum after St. Martinville received the Love Louisiana Grant, a one-time award of $400,000, which allowed the city to move forward with the improvements. Ryan Williams, office manager of the city's Culture, Recreation, and Tourism Department, explained the delays in the project, "We are required to do public bidding, so once that public bidding is open and we receive the bids, we go with the lowest bid."
After the city reached out to the lowest bidder, E&L Construction, the city council discovered that the company had made numerical errors in their submission. As per Louisiana state law, the council was obligated to award the contract to the next lowest bidder, Cousin Services. "Once we got that next lowest bidder, we pushed forward," Williams added.
With the city council’s approval of the bid on Monday, the project is now set to move forward. Mayor Willis showed a model of the redesigned fairgrounds, highlighting the planned inclusivity of the new space. "Whenever we do have a festival along this backside, the festival can be here, and the people can be here. In the back of the stage, we want to put a playground, but it’s not just any playground. We want to put a playground for kids with special disabilities."
Mayor Willis aims to make the entire area, located behind Saint John’s Restaurant, a hub for community activities. He also envisions the return of some of the city’s forgotten staples, such as a farmer’s market. "In this area right here, we would love for the farmer’s market to come back, and for them to be able to sell out the back of their truck. And whenever we have our festival and there’s a rainout, maybe we could go inside the warehouse here," he explained.
"This is going to help bring my vision and the vision of the council to unite the city and bring the people together from the north and the south side," Mayor Willis says. He estimates phase one to be completed in 6 months with plans to host a groundbreaking ceremony in the coming weeks.
