By SUE ELLEN ROSS

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – A multi-million dollar project that will combine many government offices was discussed at Tuesday’s St. John Parish Finance Committee meeting. Committee member Steve Lee worked with a team of professionals in past months, working out the details, and spent about 30 minutes relaying that information.

Those professionals included Council bond attorney Hugh Martin; real estate appraiser Hank Tatje; and real estate broker Carl Monica, among others.

Lee also mentioned the project later that same night at the Parish Council meeting, but with less detail, since he gave his presentation to the Finance Committee and all Council members and Parish Administration had copies of the plan.

The undertaking calls for the transference of offices of the St. John Sheriff, Parish Administration, the St. John Assessor, and the St. John Council chambers to be located in the complex.

The purchase and remodeling of the old K-Mart building in the former Plaza LaPlace Shopping Center, located at 2100 W. Airline highway, is at the core of the project.

If the project comes to fruition, the Parish would renovate the 60,000-sq. ft. main building, and also become the landlord for businesses and organizations already located in the shopping center. The real estate deal includes a total of 115,000-sq. ft.

“This (complex) would be more centrally located,” Lee told the Finance Committee. ” It will consolidate governmental services to make them more accessible to the public on the East Bank.”

Renovations to the main building will bring up the original estimated cost of the project from $3.5 million to

$6.5 million. Items such as a new roof, furniture and the like is the cause for the jump.

At the Council meeting, all members were in favor of going ahead with the project, which includes Lee meeting again with the property owners. He did not disclose the name of the owners.

Councilman Lester Rainey Jr. said he supports the project, but added that the St. John Courthouse in Edgard, which will continue as the Parish seat, also needs extra space. “I have had judges and the Clerk of Court tell me they need more room,” he said. “I think we should look at adding a second floor above the parking lot in back.”

If the new government complex in the old Plaza LaPlace Shopping Center is approved, the Parish would sell the current complex on Airline Highway and use part of this money to pay for the project.

During his presentation, Lee mentioned that St. John Parish already has an excess of real estate not currently utilized, and suggested that the Council look into selling some of this property to ease the burden of the cost of the new complex.

No time frame was mentioned for the proposed project, as Lee stressed that things are only in the discussion stages.

“It’s only a rough, rough business plan,” he said. “But one that will give the Parish room for future growth.” He added that since everything is so new, many details remain to be ironed out.

The Parish Council gave Lee approval to go to the next step, which includes negotiations with the owners of the property.

As soon as there is moreto report, Lee will approach the Finance Committee and the Parish Council with his findings to receive direction on the next step to completion of the project.