Reimagining Johnston St ‘Business owners, residents look to avoid stagnation Bob Moser bmoser@theadvertisercom magining the future of Johnston Street has been an arduous seven-year process full of studies, public meetings and face-offs between property owners who have butted heads. It's both Lafayette’s main artery and eyesore. A worn- down stretch of retail and utility lines bogged by traf- fic jams that most avoid whenever possible. Most cities have their own Johnston Street, but none have to settle for it. It's a choice, city leaders say, to let it go or plan now for Johnston to become a pedestrian-friendly desti- nation of life and shopping stacked vertically — the same theme you see on a IIT ‘make their way down a busy Johnston Street, See it to believe it Click on this story’s headline to watch videos of how the South College Shopping e Center and ‘xy fence” advertiser Chevron : Station (next to Mel’s Diner) could be transformed into prop- erties where business and resi- dential areas coexist along a walkable Johnston Street. thriving, big-city boule- vards like Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, or the Champs-Elysees in Paris. he Daily Advertiser, pg. 1A, 12/2 ‘Submitted photo Leaders envision revival I for economic mainstay Johnston Street long has been the main artery connecting business and commerce with Lafayette. Maintaining the economic viabilty of Johnston Street, as well as improving its aesthetic value, is something business and property owners hope to build on in 2008, John Rowiand/Jrowland@theadvertiser.com Brian Fournet, owner of Fournet’s Chevron, stands infront of his business Tuesday as motorists Laying a grassy strip down Johnston with side- walks on either side, and refocusing it toward safety and walkability, is still a 10-year project by most estimates and will cost millions of dollars that no one has yet. But there’s hope that in 2008, the lessons and hard work of about a dozen committed owners will result in the biggest step yet to renew Lafayette’s main artery. ‘See JOHNSTON on Page GAContinued from Page 1A Johnston Owners take charge ‘Jefferson Street and River Ranch have found success with the theme of mixed-use development. Their examples, and those of the most lasting and popular boulevards in the world’s greatest cities, have been studied by a design team at UL and taught to Johnston Street property owners. ‘Those in favor were won over one presentation at a time for the past two years, at ‘more than 50 meetings of the Johnston Street Coordinating ‘Team. The self-education effort is considered a first by city and state officials who've watched it unfold. “Hopefully, citizens can appreciate that this is a reach- ing out of government from local and state levels, to involve those who live on the street and do business there,” said Bill Fontenot, District 3 administrator for the Department of Transportation and Development. “Their ideas will be what's considered before moving for- ward with any design.” Made up mostly of proper- ty owners from University ‘Avenue to Doucet Road (the first of four Johnston seg- ments), regular attendees have asked questions they care about —like signage, side- walks, driveways and safety — and are the best reason why a Johnston redevelopment plan could be taken seriously in 2008. “That's the only way it can go forward,” said David Landry, owner of the South College Shopping Center and chairman of the Coordinating ‘Team. ““We were asked to do this by the city, told we had to be the ones who drive it forward. «I think this is so unusual that government is asking pri- vate landowners, ‘What would you like to have happen, and hhow would you like to pay for in” Goals for 2008 ‘They'll serap the idea that everyone along Johnston could agree, a thistake in hindsight made earlier this year by try- ing to pool all,property owners along the street into the same meeting. ‘The team now reverts back to its original goal of educat- ing and planning one segment at a time. The focus will be on University Avenue to Doucet Road first, said Sanjay Kharod, planner with Traffic and Transportation who's sat in on the last year of Coordinating Team meetings. “Tf Johnston Street is going: to happen we're going to have to talk to every property owner up and down the street,” he said. “There's got to be a compromise, ... But David (Landry) and the group want something to move forward. ‘They're tired of the stagna- tion.” ‘The other main goal is to take what property owners have agreed on — like boule- vard width, burying utility Tines and “smart” code for building design — and forma proposal that starts working through the approval process, It then face a gauntlet of at least six groups in local gov- ernment, Which could take all of 2006 to finish — if they started early. ‘There’s the Citizen ‘Advisory Committee, the ‘Transportation Technical Committee (road and utilities experts), the Transportation Policy Committee (mostly local mayors), then the ‘Metropolitan Planning Organization (another hat city-parish councilmen wear). Those groups want answers to the tough questions, like how a boulevard reduces acci- dents (it's considered a proven. “traffic calmer”), what it'l cost and how to find funding. ‘Then a fine-tuned praposal would end with Lafayette’s Planning Commission and the City-Parish Council. “If we do anything in 2006, it’s getting it through the (committee) process as a major accomplishment,” said Bruce Congue, District 6 coun- cilman, “Then public hearing through the Planning Commission and the Council's public hearing. But all these ‘measures are built-in to absolutely” give the public more time to be involved. “A unified plan for Segment can show Lafayette what the plan is and what the cost is,” Kharod said, “so others can see it and say, ‘Yeah, I want to bea part of this.’” Money questions Anestimate to create a doulevard and beautify Segment 1 of Johnston was $64 million as of 2006. ‘That's higher now,and will grow each month as construc! - tion costs keep rising “a Funding for a project this, size would be tough to gener" ate from one source, Luckily,’ Johnston Street is a state and federal highway (US. Route 167), and both could be tapped for money. ~ Redevelopment alone on Johnston probably wouldn't make it a top priority for the state, Fontenot said. But great weight is given to the credibil- ity of an MPO-process (al those committees above), and the consensus it should build in local government. If there's unified message on Johnston Street, “the state will treat this asa high priority” he said. But for Lafayette to control its own destiny on Johnston, | generating local funds through a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district is consid- ered paramount by everyone involved. ATIF district generates funds for a specific cause through a slight property or sales tax increase. A 2006 study by UL's College of Business Administration showed that if started in 2009, a TIF of 1 percent extra sales tax could raise eriough money to spur bond sales (private investment), bringing 10 times the money back to start bury: ing power lines and plant trees, Kharod said. “It's going to be the voting of a TIF district for Segment 1 that’s the magic to fund this,” said Tom Sammons, director of the Community Design Workshop in UL's School of Architecture, where students have sketched and animated future visions of a Johnston Street boulevard.Amixed-use vision Once the promise of TIF funding is made, property owners could feel secure rede- veloping their lots to take advantage of a future boule- vard, Sammons said, ‘A few have been shown visions of the potential their property holds, Since January 2007, eight property owners have volunteered for a makeover by Sammons’ Community Design Workshop. Brian Fournet, owner of a Chevron station next to Mel’s Diner, told Sammons he may not be in the fuel business in 10 years. His lot was wiped clean on a computer screen, and Sammons showed Fournet how a three-story building with shops on the ground and condos above could maximize his place — and profit — on Johnston Street. “It was outstanding, totally different than anything I ever thought of,” Fournet said. A niakeover of Landry's South College Shopping Center could move shops like Southside Bakery right up against Johnston where pedes- trians would pass in front. Parking space and other build- ings would be moved behind, the new street-front stores, With floors above for apart- ments, “(Those videos were) to get us thinking differently about our property,” Landry said, “For us to say, ‘Open your mind and look at what can be different from what you fom aut om wat you hage