An artist rendering of the completed renovation of the former offices of the Journal & Courier at 217 N. Sixth Street in downtown Lafayette. Weinstein Nelson Developers, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, are renovating the former offices of the J&C into mixed use space, featuring some retail along with apartments. Provided photo
LAFAYETTE — The story of how the Weinstein Nelson Management Co., a development firm out of Baton Rouge, La., came to purchase the old downtown Journal & Courier building is actually pretty funny.
Partner and architect Dyke Nelson said he’d heard the mayor of Lafayette, La., was looking for developers to help connect the University of Louisiana Lafayette campus to the downtown area and rehab some older buildings.
And so Nelson e-mailed the mayor, or so he thought.
Actuality he e-mailed Tony Roswarski's office and received an enthusiastic response from economic development director Dennis Carson a few days later.
GALLERY: Future plans for former J&C offices
“The e-mail said we have this great building available downtown, but all over the e-mail it said Lafayette, Ind., and I thought that was their thing, like saying ‘I’m in’,” Nelson laughed.
After looking a bit closer, he realized his error. Even so, Nelson and his business partner didn’t dismiss the idea out of hand. Both liked the look of the Journal & Courier building, attached to the historic Painters & Decorators building.
Copyright © 2024 www.jconline.com