Acadiana Partners Announce 43-Acre Certified Site in St. Martin Parish

by | May 11, 2023 | Economic Development

BB I-10 Certified Site Announcement

St. Martin Economic Development Authority (SMEDA) and the city of Breaux Bridge with One Acadiana (1A) and Cleco announced that a 43.10-acre site located in St. Martin Parish has been certified under the Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Certified Sites program.

BREAUX BRIDGE, La. – Today, St. Martin Economic Development Authority (SMEDA) and the city of Breaux Bridge with One Acadiana (1A) and Cleco announced that a 43.10-acre site located in St. Martin Parish has been certified under the Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Certified Sites program.

The Breaux Bridge I-10 Site is Acadiana’s twenty third certified site and is the second certified site in St. Martin Parish.

“The certification of the Breaux Bridge I-10 is a welcome addition to St. Martin Parish’s portfolio of development ready sites and offers us a competitive advantage in the recruitment of industry and creation of quality jobs,” said Jennifer Stelly, Executive Director of St. Martin Economic Development Authority. “Site identification and development continues to be one of SMEDA’s highest priorities. The last site we assisted to certify produced over 1,200 jobs for our region, and we hope to build on that momentum and duplicate that success here in Breaux Bridge.  I extend my appreciation to all of our partners who participated in this certification, as economic development at this scale is a true collaborative effort.”

One Acadiana’s site development efforts, done in collaboration with economic development partners across the region, respond to the needs of site selectors’ and relocating businesses. Establishing a landing pad for businesses is crucial to attracting jobs and investment to the Acadiana Region.

SMEDA, the city of Breaux Bridge, CLECO, and One Acadiana worked together closely to secure the certification of the Breaux Bridge I-10 Site. One Acadiana’s Site Development program is designed to increase the region’s portfolio of marketable, development-ready sites by certifying land within the nine-parish region. This is achieved through partnership between One Acadiana, local economic development partners, Louisiana Economic Development, and landowners.

“We are extremely excited to announce that property in the southwest quadrant along I-10 has been officially certified by the State of Louisiana and placed on its Economic Development certified site database,” said Breaux Bridge Mayor Ricky Calais. “The property that was previously Pioneer Campground includes 43 acres, has 3,500 linear feet of frontage along I-10, and should provide an excellent location for any interested developer.  We thank our partners, LED, SMEDA, Cleco, and One Acadiana, for assisting with the costs associated with getting this done.”

Parish President Chester Cedars shared: “This site certification constitutes a major step in the recruitment of developments along the I-10 corridor within the Breaux Bridge community. Indeed, governmental officials will now have at their disposal an additional resource with which to attract ventures which are compatible with the plans and needs of our entire Parish and municipalities without disturbance or offense to its quality of living. All of the participants who made this certification a reality are to be congratulated.”

“We congratulate our partners in St. Martin on the certification of Breaux Bridge I-10 Site,” said Troy Wayman, President & CEO of One Acadiana. “The certified sites program is a vital ingredient to our regional economic development efforts and is improving Acadiana’s economic competitiveness by ensuring that businesses have the perfect place to land as they start, relocate, or expand their enterprise in our region.”

In today’s economic development climate, the ability to offer certified sites has never been more important,” said Richard Cornelison, Director of Marketing and Economic Development at Cleco. “It’s critically important to have comprehensive sites ready for development. Cleco congratulates One Acadiana and St. Martin Economic Development Authority on the site certification, as it will no doubt make this region more competitive in attracting companies. Cleco appreciates our partnership with One Acadiana as we work collaboratively to grow jobs and investment across the 1A region and Louisiana.”

Landowners interested in learning more about how the site certification process can make their property more marketable can contact 1A Business Development Coordinator Emile Lege at Emile@OneAcadiana.org.

About St. Martin Economic Development Authority
The St. Martin Economic Development Authority (SMEDA) maintains three primary roles for St. Martin Parish: 1) Offer resources to stimulate growth of St. Martin Parish’s economy by creating and maintaining an optimum environment for both new and existing businesses; 2) Offer services to facilitate growth and expansion of local businesses; 3) Generate opportunities to increase the sales tax base of the local communities.

About One Acadiana
One Acadiana is the leading economic development organization for the nine-parish Acadiana region located in south Louisiana. Representing more than 700 businesses and individuals, One Acadiana serves as the voice of the regional business community. The organization is located in the city of Lafayette and serves a region of nearly 700,000 people with a vibrant culture and unique entrepreneurial spirit. Learn more at OneAcadiana.org
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About One Acadiana’s Site Development Program
One Acadiana’s Site Development program is designed to increase the region’s portfolio of marketable, development-ready sites by certifying land within our nine-parish region. This is achieved through partnership between One Acadiana, the local economic development partners, Louisiana Economic Development (LED), and landowner.