Since breaking ground in 2018, Moncus Park has completed a new 4-acre lake, a great lawn, over two miles of new trails, a dog park, hundreds of tree plantings, as well as much of the infrastructure and utilities for future developments. All elements within the park are part of a community-inspired master plan, adopted by City-Parish Council in 2014. But the fun has just begun within Acadiana’s newest greenspace!

Thanks to the generosity of several major donors in the community, Moncus Park has secured funding to move forward with additional park elements and is honored to partner with world-renowned talent to bring that vision to life. New features include a playground, treehouse, amphitheater, and Louisiana-themed interactive water play.

After soliciting bids from design teams, Moncus Park is proud to announce the selection of Duplantis Design Group (DDG). DDG is a comprehensive design firm exceptionally experienced in managing all aspects of a development project – site planning, master planning, design services, permitting and entitlements, and construction administration. The firm has offices throughout Louisiana and Texas and a history of completing nearly 3,000 successful projects. Moncus Park’s Phase 2 design team will be led by Chad Danos, FASLA, PLA, the landscape architecture division lead.

In addition to DDG’s landscape architecture, architecture, civil engineering, and surveying expertise, their team also includes Fluidity Design Consultants who will be designing the Louisiana-themed water play. Founder and project lead, Jim Garland, is a graduate of UL’s Architecture program and has since earned notoriety across the globe working on projects such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Jim’s enthusiasm and skillful use of water in architecture has led him to Moncus Park for another project near and dear to his heart, similar to that of his granite and steel water wall fountain at The Hilliard Art Museum.

Another exciting member of the design team is Nelson Treehouse, of Animal Planet’s ‘Treehouse Masters’ TV show fame led by Pete Nelson himself. Nelson Treehouse is a Washington State-based design/build firm that brings people together through the creation of over 350 exquisite, custom treehouses around the world. “When I arrived at Moncus Park, I was quite surprised to see more than three or four possibilities [for a treehouse] … the Live Oaks are beautiful. They’re sacred trees,” says Nelson.

The design process for these Phase 2 elements recently launched and construction is expected to begin before the end of this year. Moncus Park’s executive director, Elizabeth Brooks mentions, “We are so excited to bring so much talent to this next phase of work in Moncus Park, especially with the team having so many strong local ties. We can’t wait to bring these additional features to life for Acadiana. In these unprecedented times, I think we all have a greater appreciation for the importance parks and open spaces play in our community.”