LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / June 23, 1999

LAPLACE – The proposed property trade between St. John the BaptistParish and developers of a new pharmacy remains up in the air, but it may come to a head at the next meeting of the Parish Council.

“Everything looks good for next meeting,” Parish President Arnold Labat said Monday.

He aims to trade a 1.5-acre corner tract near the Percy Hebert Building for the 7.5-acre site formerly Southland Dodge. A new drug store would bebuilt at the 1.5-acre site.The proposal was tabled by the Parish Council to a workshop held June 1.

The Parish Council will have to approve the transaction.

Labat said that the plan is to turn over that corner site, presently the site of the St. John Andouille Festival, to Newton Old Acre McDonald, LLC,represented locally by APC Realty, and give them $200,000 cash.

Belle Terre Boulevard would be extended directly across Airline and merge into a two-lane roadway headed south toward the Kansas City Southern tracks.

The old Southland Dodge site, split by Bert Street, would be converted to government offices, and possibly include a gymnasium, public park and pavilion for the Andouille Festival or the St. John Trade Show. Parishfinance, public works, utilities and recreation departments would all centralize in the 35,000 square feet of buildings there.

Labat told the Parish Council there is $430,000 in the convention center bank account and $456,000 in the bank from the sale of parish-owned land near the St. John Airport to cover the $200,000 fee and pay for necessaryrenovations.

Council chairman Duaine Duffy remains opposed to the trade, and added, “I’ve had some people in the community voice their opposition; a few favorable, but more opposed.”On the other hand, Labat insisted there is greater support than opposition for the proposal. “There’s so many pluses, I can’t understand theopposition.”Nevertheless, Labat said he feels comfortable he has the necessary council votes to proceed with the deal, and added he”s heard support from the local Board of Realtors, the Economic Development Commission and recreation personnel and supporters.

“It would extend the commercial area beyond Belle Terre Boulevard toward the hospital,” Labat said, and possibly may prompt later development of the old K-Mart shopping center.

“I think it’s gonna fly,” he concluded.

Return To News Stories