[StBernard] St. Bernard buys first Village Square properties!

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish Government purchased first of Village Square properties

$14 million in federal money to buy more than 100 multi-family properties 

 

The long-awaited acquisition of Village Square properties has started. With
the stroke of a pen, St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro Jr.
formalized the parish's purchase of the first seven multi-family properties
within Village Square on Wednesday using FEMA funds through the Hazard
Mitigation Grant Program. 

 

These properties will be demolished and the land will be cleared. Under this
program, the land cannot be redeveloped for 99 years. It must be used for
green space.  

 

"This is an important step for the recovery of the parish," said Parish
President Craig P. Taffaro, who also serves as the chair of the Housing,
Redevelopment and Quality of Life Commission. "This grant helps the parish
as well as the property owners, and we are grateful for the cooperation of
the owners, the HRQL membership and state and federal officials who made
this partnership work."

 

The parish started the process in 2006 under the strong push of then-Parish
Councilwoman Judy Hoffmeister who represented the district, working with
property owners and state officials with the Governor's Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness. Currently the parish has $14.2 million
obligated to St. Bernard Parish for this voluntary program for 104
properties and an anticipated additional $10 million competitive grant for
the remaining 76 properties. The additional grant money is due to the hard
work of the St. Bernard Grants Department, headed by Lisa Smith and assisted
by Mike Bayham. Jerry Graves, Director of Community Development, developed
the parish's plan for the Hazard Mitigation Buyout. Global Risk Solutions is
administering the HMGP in St. Bernard.

 

The parish bought seven properties on Wednesday at a value of $1.4 million.
As mandated by federal law, St. Bernard currently has funding to buy about
100 multi-family properties at pre-Katrina fair market value for people who
owned the properties at the time of Katrina, minus insurance proceeds and
any other duplication of benefits. There is a different formula for people
who bought multi-family properties in Village Square after Katrina.

 

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