Construction begins on Lafourche central market

Construction has begun in Raceland on a $1 million covered marketplace for Lafourche Parish’s farmers, fishermen and craftspeople.

The Cajun Village and Central Market Project is scheduled to open by mid-August.

The site is intended to offer the region’s tradesman a centralized location to sell their goods, as opposed to roadside or out-of-parish vending.

Positioned across from the Welcome Center building beneath the U.S. Highway 90 overpass, the marketplace is also expected to serve as a tourism boon.

“It’s good for the public and it’s good for the people trying to sell their produce,” said Lindel Toups, 6th District councilman. “Right now, (vendors) have got to go all the way to Houma. I think it’s going to be a good asset to the central Lafourche area.

“(The vendors) are thrilled to death.”

The 60-feet-by-120-feet open-air pavilion is primarily targeted at farmers and fishermen. Organizers expect to make booths available to others in order to fill downtime in the agriculture and fishing seasons, said Julie Barrilleaux, the special projects coordinator overseeing the project with Lafourche Parish Government.

“It’s going to be year-round: whatever is available, whatever is in season,” Barrilleaux said. “To supplement downtimes, maybe we’ll have an arts and crafts booth, and regular music events.

“I see it as boy scouts and girl scouts having some events there, just making it a real community gathering place,” she added.

Guest chefs will also be brought in to cook for events, Barrilleaux said.

Vendors will have to pay a fee in order to utilize the facility, which will be equipped with running water, bathrooms, a stage for musical events and, possibly, a community freezer. The fee schedule has not yet been decided, Barrilleaux said.

Barrilleaux said she has been touring similar marketplaces throughout the state and is devising rules and regulations for the pavilion. One of the primary concerns at this point is preventing people from using the facility to peddle purchased goods.

“We want to make it where there’s no third parties,” Barrilleaux said. “I don’t want someone to go to the French Market to buy fruits and vegetables and then come back and sell it at our place.”

Specific details on the checks the parish will put in place are not yet available.

It is unknown what process vendors will have to go through to secure a booth.

The vending stalls are expected to be 10 feet by 10 feet.

A large parking area has also been incorporated in the design.

The project is a part of the Bayou Lafourche Corridor Plan, a joint effort by Lafourche, Assumption and Ascension parishes. It is being paid for with Housing and Urban Development and Community Development Block grant funding.

The parish is paying Gulf Con, LLC $934,000 for construction and has paid Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure $53,000 for planning, which included a site survey, architecture work and an environmental study.

The walking track in the park adjacent to the Welcome Center will be closed during construction. Officials are encouraging people to instead use the track at the Raceland Recreation Center on Texas Street.