LULING – One block of Paul Maillard Road will temporarily transform from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. Dec. 11 into a walkable street with trees, sidewalks, benches and a pop-up park to showcase what the corridor could look like with future improvements.
In addition, the German Coast Farmers’ Market will welcome more than 15 vendors, including those selling fresh produce, prepared food and Christmas crafts.
The public is invited to attend this event
at 1313 Paul Maillard Road in the CVS parking lot.
This “streetscape demonstration” is a way to test concepts based on input from meetings for the Paul Maillard Corridor Revitalization Project. Stakeholders said they wanted a farmers’ market, restaurants, new businesses, public open space and parks, street trees, sidewalks and crosswalks, to name a few. This event offers residents a chance to test some of those concepts. Paul Maillard Road was also identified in the St. Charles Parish 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan as being ripe for investment and growth.
“This is an opportunity for people to recognize and actually experience the potential that we have to create a walkable, vibrant neighborhood in this area, accomplished through a temporary redesign of Paul Maillard Road,” Kim Marousek, St. Charles Parish planning director, said. “People don’t want to read or hear about what could happen in this area. Instead, this demonstration allows us to actually try some ideas in real time that could make the area an attractive and safer place for all, regardless of age or ability.”
During a series of public meetings in
June and November, parish officials asked more 250 participants for practical, resourceful ideas that will improve the Paul Maillard Road corridor. Activities included soliciting answers on “Paul Maillard Road would be better if…” chalkboards, voting on visual preferences with regard to housing and participating in transportation surveys and land use mapping. Ideas collected at these meetings were used to design the demonstration project.
The farmers’ market and streetscape demonstration installation itself will take public input to a new level, allowing participants to experience design ideas, rather than just reacting to drawings, maps and slideshow presentations.
The German Coast Farmers’ Market is relocating to the Paul Maillard location for Dec. 11 only and will continue to operate from its regular Ormond Plantation location on Saturdays and the Luling location on Wednesdays.