After three years of interior and exterior repairs, the Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center is fully restored. To celebrate this milestone, the City will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 5. 

The historic structure, built in 1911, serves as a “rich hub for arts and cultural activity” for Southwest Louisiana, according to Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter.

“Historic City Hall, in its current form, rose from the ashes of the Great Fire of 1910. Designed by famed New Orleans architects Favrot and Livaudais, it is a historical gem for the City of Lake Charles,” he said. “Thanks to consolidating several local art galleries in recent years, Historic City Hall is seeing incredible foot-traffic today.”

It features three floors of gallery space, and houses both the Black Heritage Gallery and Gallery by the Lake. 

The building sustained extensive damages following Hurricane Laura in 2020; Just under $2 million was used for repairs, and the City expects to receive a 90 percent reimbursement from FEMA.

The City told the American Press that all work completed was designed to “respect the historic nature of the building.”

Alongside restoration efforts to both preserve the building and fortify the structure to mitigate damage in the case of a future storm, the roof was replaced and the bell tower was restored. 

For Hunter, the completion of this project is another step in the City’s recovery and revitalization efforts.

“Commemorating the completed restoration with this ribbon cutting ceremony is yet another sign of progress for our community and it represents the City’s commitment to ensuring a vibrant, eclectic quality of life for locals and visitors alike.”

The public is welcome to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration.

In addition to the ribbon cutting, on the Bilbo Street side of the property, the monthly Meet Me at the Market, as well as the weekly Charlestown Farmers’ Market, will be open.