The Lake Charles City Council passed two ordinances approving and endorsing a pair of businesses for participation in the Louisiana Enterprise Zone Program.

The program is a jobs incentive initiative that provides state income and franchise tax credits to businesses that create net new permanent full-time jobs. The businesses have to hire a specific percentage of those net new jobs from one of four targeted groups.

The tax credits were originally designed to get companies to locate in distressed areas.

One of the council’s ordinances approved the Residence Inn, being constructed on West Prien Lake Road next to Springhill Suites. The other ordinance approved the Walmart Neighborhood Market, which will be at Ryan and West Sallier streets.

One of the primary goals of the new Residence Inn will be to help with the temporary worker population needing housing during industry expansion. Construction on the Residence Inn is well underway.

City officials said the Walmart Neighborhood Market, a grocery store, is down the road. They said the contractor’s construction paperwork, which has yet to be submitted, should be completed sometime in the next six months.(MGNonline)