The New Iberia/West End community redevelopment charette experiment ended its beginning portion in grand fashion Tuesday evening when more than 150 people packed the Martin Luther King Center to hear about designs Steve Oubre and his team of students from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette came up with for a revitalized West End section of town.

The plans sound and look wonderful, but any chance for a portion of them to become reality rests with residents more than the public officials.

Sure, it was nice that Mayor Hilda Curry, Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal, state Rep. Taylor Barras and former executive director for the Governor’s office of Elderly Affairs Godfrey White were in attendance. But those four can only do so much. They need to be driven by a determined constituent base that demands a revitalized West End as a priority.

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Ackal took the first step by volunteering to pay for an employee to keep momentum going in the area for one year. The position, which will go to Sylvia Davis, gives residents someone to bring their questions to.

Davis was involved with the local charettes from start to finish and participated in similar programs in New York and Illinois. She said in addition to keeping momentum going, one of the things she will work on is bringing children and teenagers to play an active role in revitalization.

Davis seems ready for the job, but the key to any revitalization of West End relies in grass roots community support — real people, working hard in the area they live. Luckily for the West End, those people already exist and were there before talk of the charettes began.

In Wednesday’s newspaper, Stephen Funderburk explained why he established S&K Service Station and Garage on Hopkins Street about a year ago.

 “I saw an opportunity to open a business that could thrive under the right management,” he said, adding the business is doing well and has good growth prospects. “(Hopkins Street) is a very viable business area. It just needs a little clean up and good management.”

People like Funderburk are in place. All they needs is help and some like-minded neighbors. Suyah Loud-Dockett, a pediatrician who moved back to New Iberia with her husband, said she is trying to open a clinic on Hopkins Street.

New business owners and those wanting to start new businesses are key. So is an understanding that the area is finally on the permanent upswing.

Everyone seemed excited last week and this week for the West End charettes. Keeping that excitement going six months from now is necessary for success.

STEPHENHEMELT

CITYEDITOR