Plans for Lafayette's Brown & Moore 'Super Parks' Unveiled

Brown and Moore Parks are looking at major upgrades in their future thanks to a "necessary and overdue" investment in northside Lafayette.

Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory teamed up with Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Culture (PARC) Director Hollis Conway to unveil renderings of the new Brown Park Baseball and Softball Super Complex and Moore Park Soccer Super Complex.

According to a press release from LCG, improvements to the parks will include "first-class fields" that will be a direct driver for youth sports as well as Lafayette's economy.

This investment in our community is necessary and overdue. The northside of Lafayette has been a disinvested area of our city for more than 30 years, and our community and our kids deserve better facilities.

Mayor-President Guillory acknowledged the decades-long neglect of Lafayette's northside and pointed to success and growth seen in other municipalities that have invested in similar-sized sports complexes.

The upgrades will draw regional and national tournaments to Lafayette and open the door to host larger tournaments simultaneously with municipalities that have existing complexes — Youngsville, Broussard, and Carencro, along with Scott, where park improvements are in the works.

While these proposed upgrades will absolutely boost the quality of life for residents of Lafayette and the towns that surround it within the parish, Guillory spoke on how indirect dollars will also help to boost our local economy.

The tax revenue from tourism will boost the economy all around. Visitors will shop at our stores, stay in hotels, and eat at restaurants. This is a win-win for Lafayette and Lafayette Parish.

Brant Patout is one of the project architects who believe that this will also be a major plus when it comes to the first impression that people get when they roll into Lafayette.

It’s exciting when we have the opportunity to work on a project like revamping Brown Park because it will have such a positive impact in our community as a whole and will act as a great first impression for folks visiting Lafayette.

The overhaul will bring in a myriad of improvements and upgrades that will bring both parks up to today's standards with a "signature soccer field surrounded by a stadium, grandstands, modern restrooms, concessions, and an inner-park connection that makes it easier for people to get from one side of the facility to the other" according to Fenstermaker engineer Dax Douet.

Improvement Highlights include:

Moore Park, 11 improved fields (includes future indoor facility)
Brown Park, 8 improved fields
Tournament-quality fields
Low glare, efficient LED lighting
Digital scoreboards at featured fields
Low glare, efficient LED lighting
Expanded and ample parking
New food and beverage facilities
Larger spectator areas with added shade
Plentiful and modern restrooms
New playgrounds
Pavilions
Inner park connector walkway
Walking/jogging trails
Playgrounds

The youth sports market is the "fastest growing market" according to Lafayette Travel CEO Ben Berthelot who is excited about the opportunity to grow Lafayette—especially from a tourism standpoint.

These improvements and expansions will allow us to target new events and will also build on the solid foundation we have in growing capacity for current events — all bringing in new dollars to the community. It’s a great day for the tourism economy.

See the unveiling below and see detailed plans here via the official LCG website.