The face of Acadiana is changing to keep pace with the demands of modern commerce through economic development. Billeaud Companies’ Sugarcrest Shopping Center and its shops like Hibbett Sports and GameStop, Walmart, Home Depot and Sweetland Centré are just the start. US Highways 90 and 10 – and their intersections with other major transportation arteries – represent solid opportunity for Acadiana business development.
New Developments, New Commerce
Acadiana is changing and responding to outside growth. Widened roads, extensions, connections and highway accesses are just a small part of it. The signs of economic progress are everywhere:
- The new Ambassador Town Center in South Lafayette brought Costco, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Field & Stream, Marshall’s, Home Goods, Nordstrom Rack, and other small shops and restaurants.
- South Lafayette’s expansive growth over the last few years has prompted the creation of a new high school – Southside High – to alleviate overcrowding at other area schools. In addition, the city is adding classrooms to Plantation, Katherine Drexel and Milton Elementary Schools as well as additional infrastructure to serve its steadily increasing population.
- Multiple retail undertakings like Acadian Crossing in Broussard and Billeaud Companies’ anticipated development nearby will add a major grocery retailer to anchor several other businesses.
Anchor stores with associated shops and restaurants quickly become destinations for tens of thousands of regular shoppers, bringing in business from all of Lafayette’s surrounding areas. Some have no access to these stores otherwise, while others simply prefer to avoid the traffic of downtown Lafayette. However, real progress requires more than retailers alone. Good schools are also prime motivators to keep people moving into the area – elementary and high schools as well as reputable higher educational institutions like the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. These schools give back to the community, too, working with local employers to provide valuable talent pipelines for the city’s business development.
By positioning your business within or near these developing hot spots, you allow your company to benefit from transient traffic traveling to these areas. With more traffic, visibility for your business also increases, allowing for potential clients to easily find your location and consider your company’s services.
A Cycle of Acadiana Business Development
Acadiana’s cities are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in new construction, improvements in infrastructure and business incentives – and drawing the attention of still more national-level investors. Where one major retailer establishes a store, others quickly follow, the investment yielding hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and millions in tax contributions that allow communities to continue improving.
Increasing Commercial Property Values
Amid all of this development, property values in nearby areas are increasing. Once-fallow ground is now economically strategic property with vibrant storefronts, restaurants and potential for more. These types of economic developments are perfect opportunities to claim a space or even build something brand new. Launching or expanding your business in or alongside new business centers nearly guarantees customer traffic and convenient access to needed services.
Business Properties for Lease in Acadiana
Now is the time to become a part of the thriving atmosphere of Acadiana business development. With the induction of several South Lafayette commercial developments and outlying property exploration along Highway 90, capitalizing on Acadiana’s economic growth is now easier than ever. If you are searching for a home for your business in the Acadiana area, contact a property management firm that specializes in commercial development and property leasing. Billeaud Companies has been an integral part of Acadiana for more than a century. We can help you find the best business properties for lease or to buy, assist with build-to-suit projects and provide a full complement of services to meet your company’s needs.