LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – If you’ve passed the old Harrah’s parking garage lately, you may have noticed some major upgrades. It’s been an eyesore for over a decade, but now it is lit up.
It’s what officials are calling an asset to the developments on the Lakefront. The former Harrah’s Casino Parking Garage has been untouched since Hurricane Rita hit in 2005.
“We know that a sea of parking is not what we are looking for, so to have this existing as a resource that we could incentivize on most development, offer that as an infrastructure amenity to any development that would come in,” Lake Charles Assistant Director of Planning and Development, Lauren Bynum said.
Although the parking garage has remained structurally sound, construction on the garage included reskinning, reworked electrical wiring, and a new elevator.
“The foundation of what was here was good, and to build this from the ground up would’ve cost a lot more, especially in this current economy, construction prices continue to rise, so the fact that we had this sitting here was really just a blessing for us,” Bynum said.
Bynun says they’re working with a company that will look at everything from safety to ingress, egress to even the striping and design of parking spots.
As far as when the parking garage will be ready, Bynum says there isn’t a completion date just yet, but the parking garage will serve Crying Eagle and Port Wonder coming to the lakefront.
“We’re just coordinating with those different projects and making sure that we can identify a path. I mean of course, we have Crying Eagle that’s under construction and will continue on under construction past when Port Wonder opens. So, I think it’s just identifying the limits of that construction and making sure there’s an appropriate safe path of travel for any visitors to Port Wonder,” Bynum said.
For anyone wondering about the current status of Port Wonder, it is currently undergoing its finishing touches. Mayor Nic Hunter says the aquariums were recently installed.
He says a ribbon cutting for the aquarium will take place towards the end of this summer. Meanwhile, Crying Eagle will cut a ribbon around spring or early-summer of next year.
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