Elizabeth Brooks, Executive Director of Moncus Park, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss construction underway at the park. Much has happened since our first interview with EB in 2017, and as their website, moncuspark.org/the-park/ says, the park is well on its way to becoming a world-class central park for all of Acadiana to enjoy! The park is slated to open to the public Thanksgiving 2021.

Elizabeth, affectionately known as "EB," gained local renown in 2005 when she was a student at UL – Lafayette. She and her friend, Danica Adams (the last person to live on the horse farm), learned that the 100 acre UL Horse farm tract was threatened by a potential sale by the university to a commercial developer.  Unable to accept that this treasure in the middle of Lafayette could possibly ever become just another strip mall, the two launched a successful community-wide campaign to save the property; thousands of local residents became involved, aided by the rise of social media during that same time.

After the horse farm was 'saved,' EB left Lafayette to earn graduate degrees in Community & Regional Planning as well as Urban Design earned from UT in Austin. She noted how she had never realized that urban planning was even a career option until she met Mike Hollier of LCG's Planning Department when she was working to save the horse farm space.

EB's passion is in seeing a city crafted to maximize the ultimate quality of life and she said, "The impact of the built environment and infrastructure on people's quality of life and day-to-day experiences is something we should take more control over and strive to be world-class. It doesn't just happen." As an example she noted, "Some of the streetscapes we have built (here in Lafayette) are inhospitable."

Elizabeth Brooks' passion is in seeing a city crafted to maximize the ultimate quality of life and she said, "The impact of the built environment and infrastructure on people's quality of life and day-to-day experiences is something we should take more control over and strive to be world-class. It doesn't just happen."

It turns out that many other people value quality of life here too. EB spoke of the momentum that was gained during the Save the Horse Farm campaign. "We valued harnessing that same energy to create the master plan. We hired a firm to create the master plan that didn't have a preconceived notion of what the park should be, one that would listen to the people. People felt heard. It was empowering to be able to shape our community."

The site of Moncus Park is long and narrow and is one of the old "long lots" granted once Lafayette was settled. It is very quiet once you enter, as little of the land fronts onto Johnston Street. While it made little sense to utilize the space for commercial development, it is a wonderful place for a park with its live oak trees and ravines; the master plan focuses on honoring the beautiful and natural features while enhancing the topography by adding a new four-acre lake and hilly areas.

$60 million is the projected amount needed to be raised to fully realize the goal of making Moncus Park a world-class facility. A future site to host weddings, music, and community events, as well as a planned botanical garden, Louisiana-themed playgrounds and interactive splash pad, a Treehouse Masters treehouse, amphitheatre, Veterans Memorial, dog park, and promenade (the park's main walking and jogging trail offering soft surfaces kind to runners) all cost money. And except for the $6.8 million paid by the City of Lafayette to purchase the ground from UL-Lafayette, all is being funded via private donors.

The late Jim Moncus was the first person EB called upon for financial support. She reminisced about his generosity, saying,