Construction has started on the long-awaited, $2 million, 25-acre Lacombe Nature Park, featuring kayak launches, boardwalks and activities along the Tammany Trace and Bayou Lacombe, President Mike Cooper and Council Chairman Joe Impastato announced Friday.
President Cooper said the project has been a long-time-coming, and with partnership of the Council, Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and many others, this project has come to fruition during the Tammany Trace’s 30th Anniversary. The park will feature four zones: Swamp Experience, Woodland Trail Loop, Industrial Discovery Zone and Marsh District, all of which will have related walking paths and activities. Additionally, the park will offer picnic space, native planting, overlook decks, and will be centered around a historic train on an existing rail spur.
The park will be for passive recreation and will only be accessible via the Tammany Trace.
Council Chairman Joe Impastato said the children in the community will particularly benefit from the park, they will have a new way to connect with their environment, history and cultural heritage.
The Lacombe Nature Park sits on the historic sites of a Native American settlement, a mid-century industrial barge operation and the Illinois Central Railroad. The park is located between the Bayou Lacombe Boat Launch, Bayou Lacombe Bridge Trailhead and the Tammany Trace.
The project is funded by $1.1 million in state and federal grants and $1 million in local dollars.
The project is estimated to be completed within the next year, with future phases adding more features to the park.
