Councilman Dustin Suire District 6, (left) Heather Dominique Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and New Iberia Fire Chief Gordon Copell enjoy a short chat before the ribbon cutting ceremony began at Church Alley Wednesday in Downtown New Iberia.

Bike riders and those who shop downtown New Iberia now officially have a place to take in the view and enjoy their surroundings — Church Alley. 

On Wednesday, that space welcomed area dignitaries and residents who came together for a ribbon cutting ceremony on what is now a trail head for a 3.2 mile bicycle trail with painted concrete, landscaping and benches. 

Church Alley is a space of land downtown that began with a vision as old as New Iberia itself.

 “Freddie Duperier put this alley in place so he can see the church from his house, he was the incorporator of our town,” Mayor Freddie Decourt said.  “Around 17 years ago I had the idea to do this. I did drawings as a private citizen tried to get it going tried to get a grant and it wasn’t successful but I never gave up on the concept.”

That concept has now been brought to life with the help of a roughly $100,000 grant by the FHWA Recreational Trails Program for Louisiana. 

 Michael Domingue works as the grant administrator.

 “Anywhere you go people want to live in communities where they can walk and ride bicycles,” Domingue said.

He has already begun work on another project helping the city place a kayak dock at the foot of the Duperier street bridge.

Area officials are hoping the Church Alley pocket park will bring options to local families.

“I think that we need more family oriented spaces within the city limits it’s important that our families have places to go,” Sherry Guidry District 5 Council woman said.