LaGRANGE – A few short months ago, the Mansour’s building stood proudly on one side of LaFayette Square, but this week two parts of a structure can be seen rising from the ground where a Courtyard Marriot will be located.

“Foundations and footers are what you are seeing now,” said Economic Development Director Mike Criddle. “Most of the work is still below ground… These (footers) are comparatively small for some of the projects we are going to see around (LaGrange).”

The Courtyard Marriot is only one of several projects underway in LaGrange, but it is by far the most visible due to its location in the center of downtown.

Criddle said that because of the firm red clay at the building site, the building will not require as much support as a building might need on other soil types, though plenty of supports are still being put into place to bear the weight of the large building.

According to the city’s senior planner, Leigh Threadgill, all the permits for the project are in order, so the project should be clear to proceed.