JUST IMAGINE SWLA: McNeese Area Resilience District

The McNeese Area Resilience District focuses on growth, development, and enhancement of the McNeese State University campus and surrounding areas. Projects relating to infrastructure, community planning, housing, and economic development are key components to improve quality of life and foster community strength. Bundling projects together as a resilience district helps target potential funding and gives a holistic approach to addressing the needs of the area. These improvements to campus and the surrounding neighborhoods will make McNeese feel like a more distinguishing factor of the community.

There are many projects around the perimeter of campus already underway. Expansion to the west side of Ryan Street has begun with the construction and opening of the state-of-the-art Ochsner CHRISTUS Urgent Care that services both the Lake Charles community and houses McNeese’s Student Health Services. The westward expansion will continue into the fall with the LNG Center of Excellence, which will be a hub for research, workforce development, and safety. The center will partner with McNeese and SOWELA to offer courses and training for students and LNG employees. Both the Urgent Care and LNG Center are funded by the McNeese Foundation.

Expansion on the north side of East Sale Road also continues with the university’s acquisition of the Wesley Center, to be transformed into the new McNeese State University bookstore. This location will allow ease of access to McNeese merchandise to the community and maintain ease of access for students. Looking to the east side of Common Street, expansion is also in progress. The intent for the site is the construction of a mixed housing project anticipated to serve students, faculty, staff, and the community. This development will most likely take two years, and for now, the site will be enhanced into green space. The Just Imagine plan recommends transforming this section of Common Street to calm traffic, along with the addition of green infrastructure and safer pedestrian access creates a community-friendly environment.

An integral part of this project also includes Contraband Bayou, a portion of Bayou Greenbelt. The land around campus and in this area of Lake Charles is low and subject to flooding. To address this, phase I of the Contraband Bayou improvements, located near the southern boundary of campus, were completed in 2022. In addition to taking advantage of a natural water shed, the improvements included cleanup of the bayou, terracing the borders, and installing both a gathering space and a walking bridge connecting Student Central and the adjacent dorms to the main campus.

“The momentum that surrounds the expansions and projects for the growth and future of McNeese is tremendous. The entire campus will be transformed, and I think that the community will be proud of the work that everyone is doing for the betterment of the university and quality of experiences and opportunities for students,” says Dr. Daryl Burckel, president of McNeese.

McNeese State University continues to expand its footprint and connect with the community. This also includes linking the university to downtown Lake Charles. An example of this is Rolling Out the Blue Carpet, a collaboration with McNeese, the City of Lake Charles, Visit Lake Charles, and the Lake Charles Downtown Business Association to welcome students and their families back to the community. As students and teachers are coming back to campus for the first two weeks in August, downtown is geauxing blue with Poke specials and welcoming messages.

Be sure to explore downtown Lake Charles and enjoy the inaugural Rolling Out the Blue Carpet: “The goal is to create synergy with MSU and the downtown area so that students feel welcome and connected to the community on a deeper level. By accomplishing this, we cultivate a desire for students to stay and work in our growing region,” says Anna Strider, with Visit Lake Charles and the Downtown Business Association.

To learn more about the McNeese Area Resilience District and other projects as part of the Just Imagine SWLA resilience plan, log onto
www.justimagineswla.org.