Nearly 20 years ago when real estate owner and developer Ravi Daggula was taking a cab to and from jobs, he’d pass by the Mouton Plantation on Lafayette’s north side.
As one of the oldest homes in Lafayette, it dates back to 1820 and is one of the first five homes built in its genre still standing today in Lafayette. Daggula, who spoke with Jan Swift of the Discover Lafayette podcast, continued to pass by it once he bought a car and developed a liking for the historic structure and, many years later, he took encouragement from his banker to purchase it.
Once he owned the Mouton Plantation though he also felt and saw the bigger picture, the bigger purpose in his life.
“The Mouton Plantation has made me be the man I am today,” Daggula told Swift. “Lafayette has helped me be where I am. This is my way of giving something back. I didn’t know that at the beginning.”
You can listen to their conversation here.
Daggula is part of the group that developed the Vermilion Lofts, which will have a second phase across Vermilion Street that could include 40 units along 8,500 square feet of commercial space. He also owns the Nickerson House, which is nearly renovated, and recently purchased the Esprit de Coeur, 406 Garfield St.
The developer is a big promoter of downtown Lafayette, noting that the area raises a significant amount of tax revenue per square mile and is close to the interstate highways in Lafayette.
"If we don’t have a greater good that we work for, there is no good,” he said. “I want to leave a legacy for Lafayette that people will remember for the rest of their life. I encourage others to think of what role can they play.”