Interesting information gleaned about Lake Charles (Lafayette, Moss Bluff: sales, crime, hotel)

[JimLFT]

Originally Posted by cBach

That's a great point. Sulphur has ~20,000 people and Westlake has ~5,000 people. Moss Bluff has 11,000 people while Vinton has 3,000. Iowa has 3,000.

So, there are around 42K people in the area around LC. So 76K+42K=118K which is very close to Lafayette (127K).

Remember, Lafayette has surrounding areas as well.

Lafayette 127,657
Breaux Bridge 8,395
Broussard 11,303
Carencro 8,575
Milton 2,854 (not incorporated)
Scott 9,018
Youngsville 11,961

Except for Breaux Bridge, all of these communities share city limits with Lafayette to some degree. Then, a little further out, you have:

New Iberia 30,754
Opelousas 16,591
Crowley 13,144
Abbeville 12,434
Rayne 8,016

Louisiana Cities by Population

I've said it before, but I believe Lake Charles has all the ingredients to become a major city, as large or larger than Baton Rouge. It has ports, interstate system, rail, great potential airport capacity via Chennault, tourism and surrounded by natural beauty and proximity to Texas. Why growth has remained relatively stagnant is hard to say. So much potential there.

[cBach]

I agree.

This industrial boom should be the turning point for LC to finally get some positive momentum.

[pandorafan5687]

You also have to take into consideration that people in this city fight EVERYTHING! (i.e., every developer, every one that tries to move in, any effort at progress) Maybe having Texas flush us down the toilet once they jump on the gambling bandwagon is what's needed for leaders and citizens to wake up.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by pandorafan5687

You also have to take into consideration that people in this city fight EVERYTHING! (i.e., every developer, every one that tries to move in, any effort at progress) Maybe having Texas flush us down the toilet once they jump on the gambling bandwagon is what's needed for leaders and citizens to wake up.

Texas will *never* legalize gambling, not in our lifetime at least...

[cj0065]

I really would like to see them spruce up I-10 coming into Lake Charles from Lafayette. It looks so run down. Coming over the bridge from the west looks like a neat little city with the beach and tall building in view. But after that it looks so...ghetto.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by cj0065

I really would like to see them spruce up I-10 coming into Lake Charles from Lafayette. It looks so run down. Coming over the bridge from the west looks like a neat little city with the beach and tall building in view. But after that it looks so...ghetto.

They have made some changes so far. They basically extended the service road along I-10 eastward to connect with the service road that already existed from Ryan St. to Enterprise Blvd. Before that area was a gravel road with rundown shacks along it, didn't make sense along a major interstate. So hopefully there will be some restaurants or hotels cropping up there. I don't know why there are so many hotels that are going on in one location, along Prien Lake Road, but nowhere else. There is one downtown hotel so maybe another will be built...

[pandorafan5687]

Originally Posted by cBach

They have made some changes so far. They basically extended the service road along I-10 eastward to connect with the service road that already existed from Ryan St. to Enterprise Blvd. Before that area was a gravel road with rundown shacks along it, didn't make sense along a major interstate. So hopefully there will be some restaurants or hotels cropping up there. I don't know why there are so many hotels that are going on in one location, along Prien Lake Road, but nowhere else. There is one downtown hotel so maybe another will be built...

You know? I did a drive from Lake St turned on Prien Lake Rd then made a turn on Lauberge Blvd. There are at least 10 hotels within that small drive. At least 3 under construction. I'd like to see a nice hotel be built where the old Harrah's hotel was. It never made sense to be to tear down the hotel but keep that parking garage.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by pandorafan5687

You know? I did a drive from Lake St turned on Prien Lake Rd then made a turn on Lauberge Blvd. There are at least 10 hotels within that small drive. At least 3 under construction. I'd like to see a nice hotel be built where the old Harrah's hotel was. It never made sense to be to tear down the hotel but keep that parking garage.

Hotels generally tend to be like mushrooms, they pop up in the same general area. In this case, they want proximity to L'auberge and Golden Nugget and Prien Lake is the closest road. However, that road will now be filled in about a year. The south side of Prien Lake Road is already filled and the north side is filling in quickly.

I even noticed that Courtyard Marriott, which pulled the best prime spot on Nelson Road (did they pay someone off), is adding a second wing.

The hotels are also clustering in Sulphur around the LA 27 exit. Not sure why, except the lemming effect.

[pandorafan5687]

Several hotels have also popped up in Sulphur. I believe that those sports teams keep those filled.

[pandorafan5687]

Originally Posted by cBach

Hotels generally tend to be like mushrooms, they pop up in the same general area. In this case, they want proximity to L'auberge and Golden Nugget and Prien Lake is the closest road. However, that road will now be filled in about a year. The south side of Prien Lake Road is already filled and the north side is filling in quickly.

I even noticed that Courtyard Marriott, which pulled the best prime spot on Nelson Road (did they pay someone off), is adding a second wing.

The hotels are also clustering in Sulphur around the LA 27 exit. Not sure why, except the lemming effect.

I believe that that is going to be a towneplace suites. It's set to open in the spring. GN is building a second tower.