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Council adopts DEDD master plan; DEDD chair, consultant say some downtown streets not immediately prioritized
Summary
Monroe City Council approved the Downtown Economic Development District Master Plan and authorized DEDD to implement it; DEDD Chair Lee Denning and consultant Jim Allenburg said certain corridors (DeSiard, South Grand, Walnut, North 4th) are named for streetscaping, but major street repairs were not an immediate focus of the plan.
The City Council unanimously approved Resolution No. 9107 adopting the Downtown Economic Development District (DEDD) Master Plan and authorized the DEDD board to implement the plan under La. R.S. 33:2740.49.
Councilman Muhammad asked whether the plan includes pavement repairs for downtown streets. Lee Denning, Chairman of the DEDD Board, said street repair is not currently part of the board’s active priorities but that DEDD will follow the City’s direction and has flexibility to coordinate where requests align. Jim Allenburg of Lazenby & Associates, who provided cost estimation support, said corridors such as DeSiard Street, South Grand, Walnut and North 4th are explicitly named in the plan for streetscape work and that pavement improvements could be scheduled to coincide with streetscaping efforts.
DEDD’s approval authorizes the local implementing board to pursue the plan’s projects. Council’s action enables the DEDD board to seek funding and coordinate with city projects; the transcript records that detailed street reconstruction was not guaranteed by the plan but that some corridors are identified for future work.
Why it matters: the master plan provides a roadmap for downtown development and potential public‑private projects; residents and property owners on named corridors may see streetscape and pavement work later in project phases.
