Ferriday’s community center and business incubator are scheduled to open in about nine months.

Preparations for construction began two weeks ago, Concordia Parish Economic Development Director Teresa Dennis said.

A business incubator, Dennis said, is a public place where private business owners who do not have a building of their own can start out by leasing space from the town for their business for a nominal fee.

“I think that the community probably thought it wasn’t going to happen,” Dennis said.

“Now that the activity has started, the community should be getting excited.”

Dennis said the plan for a community center has been in the works since 2003.

In October, the town hired an architect and landscape architect to sketch posters depicting areas of downtown that would be developed in the future.

Included in the poster project were the community center and business incubator.

The town hired Arkel Constructors Incorporated from Baton Rouge to build the center.

In October Dennis said the incubator would cost the town of Ferriday $1.069 million.

Of that amount, Dennis said $284,000 has been secured through HUD grants, $400,000 has been secured through USDA funds and the rest is secured through capital outlay funds.

Arkel Superintendent Dana Cutrer said Wednesday the construction crew began marking off areas in the rear of the building, next to the Pasternack lot, on First Street for demolition.

Construction of the building would begin after Jan. 1, Cutrer said.

Dennis said the faade of the building would be kept intact because the building was considered part of downtown Ferriday’s historical district.

The empty lot next to the building would be converted into an outdoor plaza, Dennis said.