Pavers Used in Revitalization of Lakefront Promenade

By Lindsay Houts, Consultant to Pavestone Company

The fleur-de-lis plaza, made with stones in the colors Limestone, Purple, Metro Yellow and Green, will eventually be commercially developed to include more vendor space on the Promenade.
Photos: Pavestone Company

The fall of 2005 brought with it Hurricane Rita, one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded. Hurricane Rita wreaked havoc throughout the gulf coast, with Lake Charles, Louisiana receiving the brunt force of the storm. Lake Charles is a tidal lake, meaning that the rise and fall of the Gulf of Mexico affects the lake, despite being many miles off the coast.

When Hurricane Rita damaged the boardwalk, hotel and casino at the lakefront of Lake Charles, it wiped out a major recreational and economic venue that was enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike.

With funds from the Louisiana Recovery Authority and other federal disaster assistance dollars, the city of Lake Charles was able to bring the revitalization of the Lakefront Promenade at Lake Charles to fruition, along with several other projects.

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In December of 2007, landscape architect and community planning firm Moore Planning Group, was brought in to further those planning efforts and create an implementation strategy that would ensure the multitude of projects stayed on track.

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Overlooking Lake Charles, the Lakefront Promenade was created with five unique designs, created from Pavestone?EUR??,,????'?????<

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Before Hurricane Rita, the lakefront was a strip of grass. The multi-million dollar, 15-month Lakefront Promenade project was completed in September of 2010, five years after Hurricane Rita. The project included with 2,700 feet of pedestrian right-of-way themed landings, decorative paving and lighting, benches, trees and landscaping, public art, shaded seating structures, and site furniture. The Lakefront Promenade and Bord du Lac Marina features more than 70,000 square feet of Pavestone concrete pavers, selected not only because of the products?EUR??,,????'?????<

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After 15 months of construction, and 5 years after devastating hurricanes hit the region, the Lake Charles Lakefront Promenade was completed in September of 2010. Project proponents believe the enhancements to the promenade will create a unique sense of place, promote healthy lifestyle and facilitate growth extending toward the core of the downtown area.

The Promenade at the Lake Charles Lakefront was designed with five unique landings, each with a specific paver design: an anchor, a fleur-de-lis, a compass, a ship wheel, and a large starburst. The designs, all reflective of the culture and history of the city of Lake Charles, are as large as 100 feet wide, and each design gives a distinctive identity to their area of the Promenade, landmarks in and of themselves. The more complicated aspects of the paver designs on the Promenade produced some challenges during installation, but these challenges were ultimately overcome to produce a final product that left the Moore Planning Group, Lake Charles city officials, and the residents of Lake Charles beyond pleased with the results.

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- Patrick Moore, managing principal of Moore Planning Group

City leaders were so satisfied with the Pavestone concrete pavers used at the Lakefront Promenade that they will use them again in a project slated to begin in May 2011. The project ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The space at Lakefront Promenade, which was not as functional as it could have been prior to Hurricane Rita, is now a community space for public events, fairs and festivals. The revitalized Promenade has been embraced as a gathering place for all ages, and from the Promenade the community of Lake Charles will continue to move forward in rebuilding from the destruction of the tropical storms that devastated the city they call home. Patrick Moore, managing principal of Moore Planning Group, explained the significance of the revitalization of the Promenade: ?EUR??,,????'?????<