ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / August 19, 2000

LAPLACE – According to a big sign on Airline Highway, a Walgreen’s drugstore will be opening for business soon. However, the opening of onebusiness could mean the closing or relocation of others, including The Finish Line off-track betting parlor.

Walgreen’s corporate officials would neither confirm nor deny that Walgreen’s was moving into the shopping center next to the Percy Hebert Building on Airline Highway.

“We have not signed a lease with anybody,” said Walgreen’s spokesman Michael Polzin.

However, the sign in front of the shopping center makes it sound like the drugstore will be built shortly.

This could be bad news for The Finish Line and other businesses in that center, according to Parish President Nickie Monica.

“What I heard is that Walgreens will tear the building down and build their own structure,” said Monica.

Officials at The Finish Line deferred comment to the president of The Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds Corp. owns all Finish Line betting parlors.President Brian Krantz was unavailable for comment.

According to Monica, Walgreens plans to do more than just build a drugstore.

“They will pay for the extension of Belle Terre Boulevard and dedicate it to the parish,” he said.

Monica also said Walgreens will provide more jobs for the parish and will pay property and sales taxes that will help the parish.

It may not be all good news for the parish if The Finish Line closes rather than relocates. Gambling provides a lot of the tax revenue for the St. JohnParish government, and The Finish Line along with video poker helps fund the St. John Parish Recreation Department.The official audit at the parish financial department shows The Finish Line paid $104,118 in taxes in 1998 and $109,879 in 1999.

But Monica doesn’t seem to worried about the loss of revenue, even if The Finish Line decides to relocate outside the parish.

“What we lose from The Finish Line we will make up with the video poker at the truck stops,” said Monica.

He is referring to the Texaco truck stop on U.S. Highway 51 and theRiverbend Truck Stop and Casino in Reserve on Airline Highway. They willhave a combined total of over 50 video poker machines. Monica seems tothink this will more than make up for the loss of The Finish Line, if that were to happen.

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