Right now, Lafayette’s Five Points neighborhood looks like a twisted jumble of streets surrounded by businesses and homes in need of more than a little TLC.
But in a few years, city leaders think it’ll be a hub of rebirth, with developers sinking millions of dollars into replacing the old with the new.
What hasn’t been floated publicly in those talks is the G-word: gentrification. The neighborhoods surrounding Five Points have plenty of history, but also play host to many low- and middle-income Lafayette families. If investment comes in and raises the value of the property, would that drive some of those residents out of the market?
We put that question to Lafayette’s Tony Roswarski this week on WBAA’s Ask The Mayor. We also touch on downtown housing for older residents, parking space enforcement and getting rid of surplus police weapons.