Meraux Foundation and SBEDF pursued certification to enrich St. Bernard Parish’s economic development resources
The Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation has had 285.64 acres of a property, known as the Sinclair Tract, certified by the Louisiana Department of Economic Development (LED). This certification will allow the site to be marketed to potential developers, and in turn, boost economic development in St. Bernard Parish. The property, located at 3911 E. St. Bernard Highway, is the first in St. Bernard Parish ever to be certified.
“The Meraux Foundation has been very strategic about how we use our land resources to improve St. Bernard Parish. By certifying this site, we are putting a large tract of land in commerce to help create jobs and new tax revenue for St. Bernard Parish,” said Rita Gue, the president of the Meraux Foundation.
According to LED, “Certified Sites are development-ready industrial sites. LED certification is granted after an extensive application process and exhaustive review. The benefits of certification include official acknowledgement of a site’s suitability and readiness and improved success in the site selection process. The program’s rigorous review process is conducted by an independent, third-party engineering firm.”
“We are thrilled that the Meraux Foundation has certified the Sinclair Tract, which as a result, adds a strong development-ready site in St. Bernard to the State’s portfolio of sites. This is a major step for economic development in the parish,” said Andrew Jacques, the executive director of the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation who shepherded the certification process.
The Meraux Foundation and SBEDF pursued certification to market the property for development that will improve St. Bernard Parish; thus, the Meraux Foundation will not sell or lease the property to any project that would be considered environmentally hazardous or damaging to the quality of life in St. Bernard Parish.
Such operations include, but are not limited to, coal, scrap metal, or rubber/tire facilities. There are no plans to use the property for river diversions. The Meraux Foundation also requires that the large live oak tree on the property remain intact for perpetuity and is not cut down.
The tract is a total of 675 acres. Specifications on the certified site can be viewed on LED’s website at
http://LASiteSelection.com/73im.
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