Architecture Featured Project

The Historic Courthouse was originally constructed in 1890, then rebuilt in 1915. On January 12, 2002, arsonists from Gretna set fire to the courthouse in hopes of destroying records pertaining to ongoing court cases (they failed to destroy the evidence). In August 2005, Plaquemines Parish was struck by Hurricane Katrina leaving widespread damage throughout Plaquemines Parish. Remediation and restoration of the Courthouse and surrounding historic monuments is addressed in several phases. In Phase I of the project, environmental and structural stability assessments were completed in order to identify existing hazards, safety issues and environmental liabilities, as well as evaluate the structural integrity of the buildings so as to identify existing components of impacted structures to be restored or rehabilitated. Two development options were ultimately recommended for future development of the property. In Phase II of the project, more detailed evaluations were conducted in order to identify what types and levels of remediation and environmental cleanup would be needed at the site, and what stabilization measures would need to be taken on salvageable components of the structures. Further work entailed: development of weatherization plans for the bell tower, historic courthouse and historic jailhouse; provision of stabilization and weatherization renderings; determination of quantities of materials for disposal; and provision of construction cost estimates.