City officials celebrate as notorious Less Pay Motel is demolished, making way for 65 unit apartment complex

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)- Demolition of the LessPay Motel continued in Lafayette on Wednesday.

The community witnessed the Four Corners property which had become a community eyesore, being torn down.

LCG Mayor-President Josh Guillory says a lot of people worked diligently to get the property to the revitalization stage.

Guillory admits some people may have initially disagreed with the development plan, including him, but he agrees the demolition is worth celebrating.

“We can all celebrate that this is a great day for Lafayette. Our tax revenue increases, the blighted property is removed, people will get jobs and it’s just the beautification of the greatest city in the world,” Guillory noted.

Project developer HRI Communities President Josh Collen says the plan is to build 65 new apartments on the University Avenue side of the property.

“We are very very fortunate to get funding from the Louisiana Housing Corporation and to get $7.29 million of Disaster Recovery Funds to put a resilient new construction multi-family apartment building out here,” Collen said.

The mayor says the removal of the motel will help enhance what he calls Lafayette’s “historical gateway.”

HRI says development says the redevelopment phase could begin in the 1st quarter of next year.