The former Travelodge Motel and other buildings along West Pinhook Road in Lafayette have been approved to be part of the Oil Center Cultural District.
Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser’s office announced the expansion of the district’s boundaries for the district to include buildings near the intersection of Pinhook Road and Travis Street.
The move allows owners of the former motel, property investor Ravi Daggula and other investors to use tax credits to cover construction costs. Certified Cultural Districts allow historic building renovation projects to receive state historic tax credits and qualifying original artwork to be exempt from local sales tax.
Originally slated to be converted into 55 apartments, the building at 1101 W. Pinhook Road will now be rebuilt into a retro-chic mid-century motel with a lounge bar in the building’s lobby, Daggula said. The group has applied for the building to be listed on the national register and hopes to launch the project next month.
The group bought the long-abandoned building late last year for $1.35 million.
Attached properties have also been added to the neighborhood, including the Bon Temps Grill building next door, the Clarion Point Hotel, and two other buildings. The district boundaries run from University Avenue to the Vermilion River.
Other districts have been approved by Nungesser’s office, including the Historic African American Cultural District in the City of Crowley and the Pointe-aux-Loups Cultural District in Iota.
The state has 124 cultural districts that help spark community revitalization based on cultural activity through tax incentives, technical assistance, and resources.
