Parc Sur La Teche celebrates 25 years with a vision for the future

FRANKLIN — August 13 marked 25 years since the completion of the original boardwalk and railing project at Parc Sur La Teche, a milestone in Franklin’s decades-long effort to develop and connect its waterfront with Historic Downtown.
The story of Parc Sur La Teche began well before 2001. Beginning in the late 1960s, Franklin started reclaiming portions of its waterfront for public use. A larger vision for the area took shape in the late 1970s under the Hernandez administration, with landscape architect Charles “Jimmy” Becnel and Councilwoman Marion Melancon envisioning a waterfront featuring trees, shrubs, gazebos and a boardwalk.
Trees were planted along the waterfront in 1981, followed by additional beautification efforts in the early 1980s. The boardwalk portion of the original vision finally became reality in 2001. The $25,000 project was funded through an ISTEA grant and money from the former Franklin Optimist Club. The boardwalk and Franklin High School Agricultural Department railing project were completed Aug. 13, 2001.
Over the past 25 years, Parc Sur La Teche has grown into much more than a waterfront park. It has become a gathering place for festivals, concerts, holiday celebrations, recreational activities and community events.
The Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival and Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show have helped establish the park as a destination for residents and visitors, while the development of the Bayou Teche Paddle Trail has expanded recreational use of the waterfront.
More recently, the city has invested in parking, accessibility and other improvements while working with local organizations to add amenities, paddle trail signage, public art and other enhancements. The Historic Downtown Franklin Pocket Park has also strengthened the connection between Main Street and the bayou.
Now, city officials are looking toward another major chapter for Parc Sur La Teche.
Franklin was selected as one of only six communities nationwide for the federal Thriving Communities Program. The three-year planning effort is examining how Main Street, the Historic Downtown Franklin Pocket Park, Teche Drive and Parc Sur La Teche can be better connected.
A community meeting was held Aug. 20 at the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts, providing residents another opportunity to hear from state officials and project consultants and offer input on the waterfront’s future. Community members have already participated in meetings, workshops and walking audits as part of the planning process.
Ideas under consideration include a new boardwalk, an open-air performance pavilion, public art, improved boat docking and bulkheading, electric vehicle charging stations and improvements to accessibility and pedestrian connections. Children were also invited to share their ideas through a special drawing activity.
City officials stress that the proposed improvements will take time and will likely be completed in phases as funding is secured.
The long-term goal is to transform Parc Sur La Teche into what city leaders describe as Franklin’s “Front Porch” — a welcoming gathering place where residents and visitors can enjoy festivals, recreation, cultural events and the natural beauty of Bayou Teche.
Twenty-five years after the original boardwalk was completed, the vision first imagined decades ago continues to grow, with Franklin once again looking to its waterfront as an important part of the city’s future.