Court Orders Express Inn to Close Following Years of Public Safety Concerns
COURT ORDERS EXPRESS INN TO CLOSE FOLLOWING YEARS OF PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS
Court action advances Boulet Administration’s broader effort to address persistent criminal activity and blight
Lafayette, LA – The 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, in coordination with Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG), secured a court-ordered injunction requiring the Express Inn (1314 NE Evangeline Thruway) to cease operations, following years of documented criminal activity and property-maintenance and safety concerns.
Persistent criminal activity at the Express Inn has made the property a repeated focus for local law enforcement and prosecutors. Following a court hearing Thursday afternoon, the court ordered the Express Inn to cease operations. Separately, a hearing with LCG’s Administrative Adjudication Bureau (AAB) has been set for November 4, 2026, to address documented compliance concerns.
The action is part of the Boulet Administration’s broader effort to address problematic and blighted properties that threaten public safety, repeatedly demand police, fire and other public resources, and undermine surrounding neighborhoods. The goal is not only to close a troubled property, but to address the conditions that have persisted there and ultimately create an opportunity for the site to return to commerce within our community.
“When a property repeatedly demands police, fire and other public resources while creating unsafe conditions for the surrounding community, we have a responsibility to act,” said Lafayette Mayor-President Monique B. Boulet. “I’m grateful to the District Attorney’s Office for bringing another tool to the table and to every partner working with us to address the problem while helping residents through this transition. Our goal is not just to close a troubled property, but to create the opportunity for something better to take its place.”
Documented Public Safety Concerns
From January 2023 through August 17, 2026, the Express Inn generated 1,902 calls for service and 294 police reports. Law-enforcement data associated with the property also documents the recovery of 17 firearms and approximately $114,658 in street-value narcotics during that period.
A separate LCG property inspection conducted on August 26 identified extensive noncompliance with property-maintenance standards across the site, including the occupied hotel building, common areas and a fire-damaged second building. The inspection cited conditions involving structural integrity, stairs and railings, secure doors, sanitation, plumbing, electrical systems, means of egress and fire-detection or suppression systems, among other violations.
Expedited Action Under State Law
Seeking a more effective way to address the location itself, the District Attorney’s Office identified an expedited public-nuisance process available under Louisiana Revised Statutes 13:4711–4715. Louisiana law allows local authorities to move quickly when documented criminal activity at a property poses a threat to public safety. Following today’s expedited hearing, the court granted the requested relief and ordered the Express Inn to cease operations. LCG, law enforcement and partner agencies will now coordinate implementation of the court’s order.
“Our office is constantly working to find innovative ways to combat crime in Acadiana. This new effort by ADA Chase Edwards is no exception,” said District Attorney Don Landry. “Our office supports businesses big and small throughout our community, but if someone allows their business to be a haven for violent crime and narcotics activity, we now have a way to shut you down.”
Supporting Residents Through the Transition
As the legal process moves forward, LCG is also working to minimize displacement and ensure individuals and families currently living at the Express Inn have access to support. The Administration is coordinating with Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness & Housing (ARCH) to connect affected residents with alternative housing options and assistance.
LCG’s approach is focused on addressing a property that has become a persistent public-safety concern while also supporting individuals and families affected by the closure.
“The challenges facing this corridor did not emerge overnight, nor are their consequences confined to any single property. When crime, deteriorating conditions, and years of disinvestment converge, the effects ripple throughout a community, undermining public confidence, discouraging private investment, and limiting opportunities for the very residents and businesses who deserve better,” City Council Chair Kenneth Boudreaux said. “While we recognize the difficult circumstances surrounding this outcome and the individuals affected, along with any good faith efforts that may have been attempted by this business, our responsibility must remain rooted in the safety, dignity, and long-term well-being of the surrounding community. With today’s action, coupled with the recent demolition of the former La Quinta Inn, we have an opportunity to begin turning the page on a corridor whose potential has too often been overshadowed by its challenges. My hope is that these actions mark the beginning of a renewed confidence, meaningful reinvestment, and a future worthy of the people who call this community home.”
A Broader Push to Address Blight
The coordinated action comes as LCG continues to accelerate its broader response to dangerous, abandoned and blighted properties. When the Boulet Administration took office, LCG inherited a backlog of approximately 1,200 dilapidated, dangerous, blighted and abandoned property cases, some dating back to 2016.
Following changes to state law and local processes, blight and condemnation cases can now move through the Administrative Adjudication Bureau rather than requiring each case to proceed through the City-Parish Council process. LCG now averages approximately 40 Administrative Adjudication Bureau cases twice each month and, for the first time in years, is closing more cases than are being opened.
LCG’s strategy recognizes that removing dangerous and regularly problematic properties is about more than appearance. It is intended to protect residents and surrounding neighborhoods, reduce repeated demands on public resources, support economic development and create opportunities for properties to be returned to productive use.
Partner Coordination
LCG thanks the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for its partnership in taking legal action to address the property as a public nuisance, along with local law enforcement, ARCH and other partners coordinating the public-safety, property-compliance and resident-support components of this effort.
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