1012 Corridor

On Sept. 3, 1997, the Times of Acadiana ran what would become a series of updates on Lafayette’s first traditional neighborhood development. The article began, “The neighbors didn’t like it. Local government was wary of it. Not even its owners could agree on what it was.”

River Ranch developer Robert Daigle laughs when he hears this today. More than 10 years later, he’s called their bluff and definitely figured out what River Ranch is. “Do you know how many people told me, friends and persons that were barely acquaintances, ‘Robert, don’t do this,’ ” he says from behind his oversized wooden desk above the City Club. “It might be a great idea somewhere else, it might be a great idea in a much larger market, but Lafayette is not ready to accept something like that.”

Daigle didn’t agree with them, but at the time he also couldn’t guarantee that River Ranch would be successful.

“I thought of all the communities around here that Lafayette would be one of the better communities to accept the concept,” he says. “The bigger danger was, is this a big enough market to allow us to do the things that we need to do and to absorb the amount of high-end real estate that we were going to develop here? That was the challenge, and I’d love to tell you that I just absolutely knew it was going to work, but I had many a sleepless night.”

Daigle explains that with projects like River Ranch, developers are hoping for a 15% capture rate, meaning that of all the potential buyers who can afford to live there, 15% will make the move. River Ranch’s rate ended up being over 70%, a figure Daigle calls “crazy.”

“It grew quicker than we anticipated, for sure,” he says.

Compared to other traditional neighborhood developments, or TNDs, around the country, River Ranch is about middle of the road in size and scope. Comprised of 324 acres, it includes three town centers—the original town square, the more recent Main Street and a planned space on the river—to ensure that every resident has the option to walk to a center of activity within five minutes. Walkability is one of the main facets of TNDs and one of the key principles of New Urbanism, a design movement that promotes walkable neighborhoods with a range of housing. Another is having a balanced mix of residential and commercial space.

A study conducted before River Ranch broke ground predicted the development would be able to fill somewhere from 25,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet of retail space and top out at about 50,000 square feet of office space. When he runs the numbers today, Daigle says, River Ranch has 250,000 square feet of retail space and the same amount of office space, with more on the way.

Has the development’s tremendous commercial appeal upset its residential balance? Daigle and the development’s architect, Steve Oubre, say no. Even with the development far surpassing its targets for commercial space, it remains at a ratio of 75% residential and 25% commercial, based on acreage. River Ranch’s location and size, they say, allowed them to maintain the right mix.

“Getting to the numbers that we got to did not have a negative effect on the community, it actually had a positive effect,” Daigle explains, “because people have continued to make buying decisions on the residential side based on the fact that we have a health club that they can walk to and probably 14 or 15 restaurants that they can walk, bike or take a short drive to.”

Photo by Terri Fensel

BALANCING ACT: Developer Robert Daigle, left, and architect Steve Oubre, right, say the popularity of commercial space at River Ranch has had a positive effect on the community.

Oubre says that because of River Ranch’s linear shape, it couldn’t be centered around just one area. “Most adults will walk five minutes to daily chores or activities,” he says. “The difficulty was that it wasn’t a square property, so walk zones were set up for three (centers).” The town center is about a five-minute walk for 75% of residents, and as the community’s original area of activity with a town square and gazebo, it still draws plenty of runners, families on bikes, dogwalkers and couples heading to the Village Café for dinner. Before Fresh Market opened near Kaliste Saloom Boulevard in the Main Street area, the café doubled as a grocery store and wine shop, but it has since been transformed into an upscale restaurant.

“It’s a different experience than the market was originally, but I think it’s a natural evolution of the space once Fresh Market got on the property,” says Daigle. The square has a completely different vibe from Main Street, a boulevard lined with many shops and restaurants. Residents are more apt to arrive at the latter by car or golf cart, and the scene is all about retail therapy and couples and singles having drinks or dinner.

Local, regional and national businesses have been quick to locate to Main Street. Shoppers can find Ann Taylor Loft, Hemline, Jos. A. Bank, Kiki and many more boutiques here, while dining options include Zoë’s Kitchen, Another Broken Egg Café, Wine Loft and Bonefish Grill.

“The demographic is a perfect fit for us,” says Debbie Michael of the recently opened Paul Michael Co. A Southern home décor shop based in Arkansas, Paul Michael was looking for a fourth location after a deal in Jackson, Miss., fell through. Debbie’s husband, Paul, was staying at Candlewood Suites across Kaliste Saloom Road from River Ranch and called the development office as soon as he noticed the large, empty building across from Fresh Market.

Local Kiki Frayard relocated her high-end accessories shop, Kiki, from the Oil Center to Main Street in 2006. She says Lafayette’s growth was moving toward River Ranch and that its retail mix has been key for her business. “Robert stayed true to his vision of what a TND can and should be, and I think the city responded,” she says. “Business has been great, and even in this economic downturn we’re still ahead of last year.”

Photo by Terri Fensel

On the drawing board now, River Ranch’s third activity center, on the river, heading toward Johnston Street from Camellia Boulevard, will give residents living in the back of the property a place to dock their boats or stroll along a riverside boulevard, stopping to dine or shop. “We’re going to try to get it developed simultaneously with developing the river frontage and create another three or four food and beverage options that people can drive or walk to,” says Daigle.

With its three centers of activity complete and the achievement of a balanced commercial/residential mix, will River Ranch finally be finished?

Daigle says give him about three more years, and the answer will be yes. He’s already thinking about future projects, as is Oubre, but the pair won’t forget the valuable lessons they learned birthing River Ranch.

“From my perspective, River Ranch has been very successful, almost to a fault, because we’ve positioned ourselves to a higher price point,” says Oubre. “We’ll be able to bridge that better in other markets.”

Daigle talks of another Lafayette TND aimed at an entry-level price point in the $150,000-$220,000 range, but with all of the amenities that River Ranch offers. “Then I’ll have all of the price points covered, everything from the young family buying their first home to the million-dollar house out there,” he says. “That should keep me busy for as long as I want to work.”