Former popular music venue The Caterie will not return to its former home in the Acadian-Perkins Plaza shopping center, according to Jon Claitor, owner of the shopping center.
 
Instead, other taverns and restaurants are negotiating for the space. The Lafayette-based Bugersmith restaurant is a likely future tenant in the plaza, Claitor said.
 
Claitor said plans for The Caterie’s return to the fire-ravaged plaza came to a halt in August. Originally, the music landmark and Southdowns Discount Liquor and Cigarettes planned to jointly return to the space but lacked funds to continue negotiations.
 
The Caterie has no current plans to relocate, Claitor said.
 
“There is no signed deal, but we are close,” Claitor said.
 
Bugersmith would take the old AT&T space, and a new AT&T store would move to the space at the corner of South Acadian Thruway and Perkins Road.
 
Claitor estimated the stores could be ready by Feb. 1.
 
“I think it will pan out really soon,” Claitor said.
 
Claitor said a Winn-Dixie grocery store and Tuesday Morning store were initially going to move into the plaza in early 2010, but plans fell through during negotiations.
 
“It’s why we’re so behind,” Claitor said.
 
A fire blazed through the shopping center Jan. 1, 2010, destroying The Caterie and neighboring shops in the plaza.
 
Claitor’s Law Books and Publishing was affected by the fire and relocated to the former Major Video space shortly thereafter.
 
“We’re doing great,” Claitor said. “We only missed a day after the fire, and we are proud we were able to sell books to law students so shortly after.”
 
The Claitor family purchased the land for the shopping center in 1968 and opened a bookstore, drug store and post office within the first five years, according to an article by the Baton Rouge Business Report.
 
Fundraising efforts to benefit artists who lost equipment or practice space in the fire took place last spring. An event called Fanning the Flames garnered funds from private donations, proceeds from a local fashion show and T-shirt sales to help artists recover from the damage.
 
 
 
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Contact Grace Montgomery at [email protected]