The around-the-clock foot traffic in downtown Lafayette captivates Robert Turner, especially after a long day of demolition work at his future restaurant, Pete's Diner.
One night he and his crew took down the brown paper covering the windows at 601 Main St. and watched people walk by under the glow of the Lafayette Theater lights.
The city emanates the same vibe Turner felt when he helped friends open restaurant bars at the start of revivals in two different historic districts in Indianapolis.
"You could feel the buzz around there, and you can feel something is getting ready to start here," he said.
Others feel it, too.
"We're going through another renaissance," Lafayette economic development director Dennis Carson said.
Old spaces, new leases
In the past month, a wave of new projects has swept away the gloom that set in after three well-known downtown eateries — Main Street Cheese & Wine, Adelino's Old World Kitchen and Lenehan's Pub — closed due to financial problems.
As the Journal & Courier first reported on March 27, the ink dried on several new leases just a few weeks after some vacancies were created.
Two months after Adelino's was evicted for unpaid rent and utilities at 112 N. Third St., building co-owners Mike Witteveen and Jeff Kessler landed a new tenant.
Heirloom, a farm-to-table restaurant, will begin serving lunch in July, featuring a contemporary American seasonal menu dictated by fresh foods available from local farmers.
"Good restaurants are a math problem," said Justin Henry, one of three partners in Heirloom.