By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Parish leaders in St. John, St. James and St. Charles parishes said Monday that the steady increases in population reflected in 2010 U.S. census numbers are a sign of future positive growth for the region.

According to census figures released Thursday, the collective tri-parish area experienced a roughly 7.5 percent population increase over figures from 2000. The number of residents of the region is up from 112,332 to 120,806.

In St. John Parish, where population jumped from 43,044 to 45,924, Parish President Natalie Robottom said she was comfortable with the growth but surprised that it wasn’t higher.

“We expected somewhere in the range of 47,000, but we are happy with what the numbers reflect in the way of growth in the parish,” Robottom said. “We’ve had no discussions regarding challenges.”

Robottom said she had gotten a sense of where newcomers in the parish were — and how many there were — while campaigning for parish president early last year.

“We were going door-to-door and talking to them,” Robottom said. “It gave us a good sense of where the growth was going to be.”

Robottom was particularly surprised by the growth in the west bank community of Wallace, which showed a roughly 15 percent increase. The parish as a whole increased by 7 percent. She said it was a good sign for continued growth on the west bank.

“Especially now that the ferry is back in service, we could see additional economic and residential growth in that area,” she said.

In St. James Parish, where population grew from 21,216 to 22,102, Parish President Dale Hymel said it is a positive step in the right direction and a good sign for the future.

Hymel said the parish is ready for more growth and expects additional increases as new economic endeavors in the parish start to get off the ground, particularly the construction of the Nucor Co. iron and steel facility in the coming years.

“We will have many more construction jobs and new permanent jobs,” Hymel said. “The growth will only continue.”

Hymel said the parish has already taken steps to plan for future growth, including expansions at water plants on both sides of the river, as well as plans to widen major traffic arteries through the region.

“We are ready for what is to come,” Hymel said.

The biggest population gains in the region came in St. Charles Parish, which showed a roughly 10 percent increase. Population in the parish swelled from 48,072 to 52,780.

Like Robottom in St. John, St. Charles Parish President V.J. St. Pierre also expected higher figures, but he said Monday that he was pleased with where the parish stands.

“The growth has been steady and comfortable,” St. Pierre said. “This has given us time to get the infrastructure where it needs to be.”

While St. Pierre said much of the growth in the parish was a product of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he also said additional new jobs at the Valero St. Charles Refinery in Norco and Monsanto Chemical in Luling contributed to the increase.

“It’s what we had anticipated,” St. Pierre said. “We are ready for more growth.”