By T. Scott Boatright
Grambling Mayor Alvin Bradley held a Town Hall meeting last week, with 50-60 city residents attending to hear him discuss a variety of subjects, including the city’s pending master plan, its new water meter replacement project, and a recently signed memorandum of understanding with Grambling State University.
But Bradley’s speaking point that drew the most attention was his hopes of Grambling piggybacking off the ongoing construction of a Buc-ees’s Travel Center will bring to Lincoln Parish when the renowned giant convenience store opens off of Tarbutton Road in Ruston next year.
“When Buc-ee’s shows up, they bring a lot of economic development, a lot of restaurants, hotel and things of this nature. The city of Grambling, we’re trying to position ourselves to take advantage of that when it comes,” Bradley said.
Extending the north side Interstate 20 Service Road from Tarbutton Road to Grambling is part of Bradley’s plan.
The hoped-for road would run parallel to I-20 in front of around 1.5. miles of mostly wooded property not considered to be in either Ruston or Grambling city limits.
Two phases are planned to build the road — the first from the Buc-ee’s construction site at the north intersection of I-20 and Tarbutton Road to a new service road that will access the travel center, and the second phase extending the road from the Ruston city limits to the Grambling city limits.
Grambling would be responsible for finishing the road from its city limits to a yet-to-be-determined point that would tie into the Grambling I-20 interchange, thought likely to end near the now vacant original The Keg building in Grambling.
“What you have is just a proposed route,” Bradley said.
He also stressed no land will be annexed for the project.
“I know from Grambling’s perspective, we’re not trying to take anybody’s land,” Bradley said. “I don’t want that to get out there. Your land is your land.”
“The service road will be an advantage to you,” Bradley told attendees. He said the travel center will be a win for everyone because of increased tax revenue. A win for Ruston, (and) a win for Grambling, is going to be a win for Lincoln Parish,” Bradley said.
Bradley said the MOU with Grambling State University will cement the town and gown relationship between GSU and the city.
“This opens the doors to a litany of opportunities for us as a city to partner with the university and create an environment that we all can benefit from.”
He also stressed the importance of a master plan he and the Grambling City Council have developed.
“If you don’t have a plan in place, you can be somewhere all over the place,” Bradley said. ““It’s not Alvin Bradley’s master plan, it’s the city of Grambling’s master plan so we’re going to need your input as we move forward,” he said.
