LCG Secures Grant to Advance E. University Avenue Gateway Improvements
LCG SECURES GRANT TO ADVANCE E. UNIVERSITY AVENUE GATEWAY IMPROVEMENTS
Keep Louisiana Beautiful grant will support improvements near LCG facility while showcasing sustainable landscaping and stormwater management
Lafayette, LA – Lafayette Consolidated Government’s (LCG) Environmental Quality Division and Keep Lafayette Beautiful are working together to improve highly visible public spaces through public art, native plants, and sustainable landscaping. Through a $6,000 beautification grant awarded by Keep Louisiana Beautiful and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the 2026 Entryway Beautification Project will take place surrounding LCG’s Capital Improvements Department facility on E. University Avenue.
The project will enhance multiple medians with native plants, public art and sustainable landscaping designed to create a welcoming and attractive gateway to Lafayette while demonstrating the benefits of green infrastructure. Improvements along E. University Avenue near the Evangeline Thruway intersection will include welcome-sign planter boxes featuring colorful artwork and the messages “Welcome to Lafayette” and “Keep Lafayette Beautiful,” complemented by flowering native perennials. Beyond improving the appearance of this highly visible corridor, the project supports LCG’s broader litter prevention efforts. Attractive well-maintained public spaces reinforce community pride and can help discourage littering.
Two additional medians within LCG’s Capital Improvements Department facility, located at 1515 E. University Avenue, will be enhanced with flowering perennials and native ornamental grasses. The landscaping will demonstrate how native plants can reduce mowing and maintenance while supporting stormwater management. One median will also be retrofitted to capture stormwater runoff from the adjacent parking lot, serving as a demonstration project of how green infrastructure can be both attractive and functional.
“By incorporating native plants, public art and green infrastructure, we’re creating beautiful public spaces that reflect our community’s pride and show how sustainable landscaping can make a difference in the way we care for our parish,” said Bess Foret, Environmental Quality Manager for LCG’s Capital Improvements Department.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with new planters, landscaping and green infrastructure installed by December. The effort is part of LCG and Keep Lafayette Beautiful’s continued work to create cleaner, more attractive public spaces while demonstrating practical approaches to sustainable landscaping and litter prevention.
For more information about Keep Lafayette Beautiful and efforts reduce litter throughout Lafayette Parish, visit lafayettela.gov/keeplafayettebeautiful.
###
