The town of Jena, Louisiana is a community of more than 3,000 residents in Central Louisiana. Its advantageous location along Highway 84 between Alexandria and Monroe, its growing industry, and small-town charm have led Jena to experience spillover growth from nearby cities.

As a part of the El Camino Real, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) initiated plans to widen Hwy 84 to four lanes — construction that threatened to wipe out downtown Jena completely. Mayor Murphy McMillin understood this threat and also recognized that it provided an opportunity for commercial and industrial growth – and he knew his town needed a plan they could all get behind to avert the threat and realize the opportunities ahead.

CPEX assembled a Core Support Group that championed Jena’s vision and the planning process to make it a reality and served as a sounding board for the consultant team during the nine-month planning process. Additionally, CPEX deployed their public outreach expertise to maximize the amount of public input and participation in the process to ensure wide community support of the resulting plan.