Eunice secures $2.5 million for city hall and theater renovations

EUNICE, La. — The city of Eunice has secured $2.5 million in state and parish funding to renovate its city hall, jail, and the historic Liberty Theatre. The announcement came Wednesday, with the theater set to receive $1.2 million of the funding, along with an extra $234,000 from the St. Landry Parish Historical Development Fund.

The Liberty Theatre, which first opened its doors in 1924, was originally slated to reopen last year to mark its 100th anniversary. Mayor Scott Fontenot expressed optimism that further funding could accelerate the renovation process, highlighting how it could enhance tourism in the area.

“I’ll press them to get something by Mardi Gras,” Fontenot stated regarding the timeline for the project. The theater has been closed since 2019, and the renovation is being led by Cajun musician and Eunice native Joel Savoy, whose parents played a significant role in reopening the venue in the 1980s.

In 2022, the U.S. Congress passed a bill granting full ownership of the theater to the city of Eunice, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson and Sen. John Kennedy. The remaining $1.3 million in state funds will be allocated for the renovation of Eunice City Hall and the local jail, which will undergo a complete transformation, increasing its inmate capacity to 56.

Chief of Police Kyle LeBouef emphasized the necessity of the jail renovations, stating, “This is something that we really, really needed.”