Major Renovations Underway at St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission Headquarters
Renovations to the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission headquarters on La. 59 near Mandeville began on May 6, marking the start of a $468,000 overhaul of the 27-year-old building.
Ashley Smith Construction of Covington is the project contractor, and Piazza Architecture Planning of Mandeville is the architect.
Donna O’Daniels, executive director of the commission, said the project will start with exterior work to avoid the peak summer heat. Interior renovations will follow, with some offices receiving only cosmetic updates such as new carpet and paint.
However, other offices will undergo significant changes. Mold had previously grown on ceilings, and wildlife had burrowed into the insulation beneath the building and into the crawl space above it. The building’s HVAC system will also be replaced, and an additional restroom will be added.
The building, located between Interstate 12 and Koop Drive, serves as both a visitor center and office space for commission employees.
“The work is badly needed, so we’re happy it’s underway,” O’Daniels said. “We may have to close the office to the public for a few days, but it should be very brief. As work progresses around the building, we can stagger days when staff work from home. We also have some space available to us at the Northshore Community Foundation in downtown Covington.”
O’Daniels said the renovations are expected to be complete within three to five months.
“We’re hoping by the fall,” she said. “We’re excited about it. We’ve already received many compliments on just the new sign that’s been put up.”
In recent years, the Tourist Commission building had become secluded, with mature tree limbs obstructing it from view. O’Daniels explained that while the building was designed to blend with the natural marshy habitat, it had become “almost invisible” due to overgrown trees.
“The trees then were nowhere near as mature as they are now,” she said. “So, we had to cut back a bit within six feet of the building, mainly removing some low-hanging limbs which opened things up a little. You can see the exterior of the building now, and it’s going to be getting some brighter colors.”
“The whole project will give us better exposure,” she added.
Last year, the Tourist and Convention Commission’s board of directors allocated $1 million for extensive repairs, but they were pleasantly surprised earlier this year when the low bid came in at less than half that total. Ashley Smith Construction, who also built the current 3,137-square-foot visitor’s center/commission headquarters completed in 1997, won the bid.
For more information on the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission, visit www.VisitTheNorthshore.com.
