A Multimillion-Dollar Tax Break For Plaquemines LNG and Venture Global LNG

 Two industrial projects in Plaquemines and Caldwell parishes were granted multimillion-dollar tax breaks which were approved by The Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry. Venture Global LNG received $29.8 million in payroll rebates for its Plaquemines LNG terminal.

This will be the second state tax break for Plaquemines LNG, the first was in 2016 and was an Industrial Tax Exemption Program. That tax break totaled $83.5 million in the first year of the contract. This was part of the contract they had filed with Louisiana Economic Development which is a state agency. With the new incentive, there will be around 413 new jobs created with a total payroll of $497 million over a 10-year period.

Louisiana Green Fuels plant located in Columbia will be given a break for $33.5 million in property taxes. The Caldwell Parish company is worth around $1.95 billion and will only have to pay around $8.38 million during the first year of its contract with the state. This plant is slated to be operational in 2026.

Company officials say this plant will be used to create renewable diesel. They will convert wood waste into fuel. Five permanent jobs will be created along with 1,050 construction jobs total $248 million total payroll.

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Two Additional LNG Contracts for Venture Global

 

Venture Global LNG has several facilities across south Louisiana. They are responsible for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals. ExxonMobil LNG Asia Pacific has signed a contract with Venture Global LNG to purchase 2 million metric tonnes of LNG yearly. Plaquemines LNG facility will provide 1 million tonnes of LNG and Cameron Parish LNG facility will provide the additional 1 million.

The Cameron Parish LNG will begin construction in 2023 and the Plaquemines LNG facility will open in 2024. Both of these facilities will also supply LNG to New Fortress Energy Inc. Plaquemines LNG will also supply LNG to a Shell affiliate. Venture Global also has Delta LNG in Plaquemines Parish which is already producing LNG.

“We look forward to working with Venture Global as we continue to grow ExxonMobil's
LNG portfolio and progress our plans to reliably deliver natural gas from the U.S. Gulf Coast to global markets,” Peter Clarke, senior vice president of LNG for the ExxonMobil Upstream Company, said in a statement.

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Plaquemines Parish New Oil Terminal Cancelled

 

Tallgrass Energy Partners is now going back to the drawing board to discuss different options for the property in Plaquemines Parish that was slated to become an oil export terminal and pipeline. The Midwest energy company called off the $2.5 billion project last month as they felt the world is going another way away from oil and gas.

The property which is located on 200-acres up the Mississippi River from Ironton is owned by the Plaquemines Port Harbor & Transit District. Tallgrass is leasing the property from the port and both companies are discussing "other ways to develop its Ironton property." Some of the discussions were using it for a distribution center or warehousing.

After a study conducted, the company sees that the market is changing. Many are swaying away from oil and gas and looking into other alternatives. If the project had been completed, the terminal would have been able to store around 20 million barrels of oil.

The site which was part of the St. Rosalie Plantation is part of the communities history. In fact, many residents of Ironton descended from slaves who lived at the plantation. Many residents were opposed to the project because it would be built over the plantation's cemetery.

“Integrity and respect are core Tallgrass values,” William Moler, CEO of the Leawood company said. “As part of our PLT permitting process, our cultural survey work identified a cemetery and potential artifacts consistent with what community members shared about the history of the site. Since then, we reduced our development footprint to protect those areas and engaged with the Ironton community and other local stakeholders on an appropriate path toward memorializing them.”

Ironton residences were excited by the news of Tallgrass' decision to stop the project. Residents are still struggling from Hurricane Ida's destruction to Ironton. Many residents moved away from the area after the storm surge flooded most of the community. Those who are still there feel like they have a victory.

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A $75,000 Our Town Grant Goes to A Studio in the Woods

 

A program of Tulane University’s ByWater Institute called A Studio in the Woods, is receiving a $75,000 Our Town Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant will be used towards Searching for the Ghosts of the Gulf, a collaborative project with artist and biologist Brandon Ballengée and the Plaquemines Parish Government.

A Studio in the Woods is a retreat for artists, scholars, and the public. It is a place in Lousiana's protected forest along the Mississippi River where patrons can go to relax and focus on their creativity. The organization has built a network of artists interested in works based on southern Louisiana's environment.

Searching for the Ghosts of the Gulf is a project that artist and biologist Brandon Ballengée and the Plaquemines Parish Government are coming together to create. Brandon Ballengée will be a community-based residency at A Studio in the Woods where he will study and explore endangered fish species from the Gulf of Mexico.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Brandon Ballengée and the Plaquemines Parish Government to bring dynamic, accessible, and fun programming about environmental change to our neighbors in Plaquemines Parish,” A Studio in the Woods Managing Director Ama Rogan remarked, “We hope this project sparks new understandings, conversations, and bonds in our communities.”

Ballengée states, “Together we will build resilience for coastal populations using citizen driven art/science research while taking collaborative actions towards a collective future survival.”

Our Town funding is the National Endowment for the Arts grant that will help fund projects such as this at A Studio in the Woods. There are 63 grants like this nationwide which supports projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes; ultimately laying the groundwork for sustainable systems change.

“It is always exciting when Plaquemines Parish can partner with outside organizations to bring grant money into our parish. This project in particular will help us to expand our coastal resilience, which as we know is one of the most important and pressing issues we face,” said Plaquemines Parish President Kirk M. Lepine.

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Belle Chasse Medal of Honor Park Honors War Veterans Will Finally Be Completed

 

The Louisiana Medal of Honor Park is finally going to be finished after construction came to a halt about 18 years ago. Originally the park was created to display over 4,000 medal recipients from the Civil War to present-day conflicts.

The structure was built by Seabees from the neighboring Naval Air Station and Joint Reserve Base. The five large concrete structures that make up the monument have been funded by donors and volunteers throughout the years.

“It’s an ongoing process for sure and the upkeep of it and the maintenance and everything,” park designer and board member Jody Coyne said.

Over the years the park has been short in supply for funding to complete it. Coyne says the park site is a tribute to all those who have served in the military and is a labor of love. It is a special play for Plaquemines Parish’s military community.

The funding to complete the 34-acre tribute will come from a federal grant that is also paying for a new main gate to the Navy base across the street from the park.

“If everything goes right, we should finally have a nice pavilion building with restrooms and stuff for the public, a large playground area in the front and a museum building off to the left side," Coyne said. “We hope we can complete this and dedicate this, have another re-dedication ceremony to honor everyone’s that ever given the ultimate sacrifice.”

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Hogs For the Cause Has A New Location This Year

Hogs for the Cause will be happening this year but at a different location and a new date. The annual event will take place this year June 4 – 5, 2021 in Belle Chasse. 

Image by Hogfest 2019

This will be the first time the event will be held outside of the city. The location will be at a Plaquemines Parish Government Facility with a 15-acre green space.

Patrons will enjoy one of New Orleans’ biggest food events but on a smaller scale. Rene Louapre and Becker Hall, co-founders, will be adding protocols for coronavirus safety this year. They are turning to health care professionals such as Children’s Hospital and LCMC Health, and state and parish officials, including the Louisiana Fire Marshal’s to oversee the event safety.

“Things could change between now and then but we want people to know that we’re taking a community-first approach with all of this,” Louapre said. “The public health considerations are where we start all of our decisions.”

The change in date and the location is due to COVID-19. The original dates in March 2020 were cancelled due to the pandemic and the new location stems from the UNO Lakefront Arena currently being used as a COVID-19 testing site. Orleans Parish also restricts outdoor events to a limit of 150 so the festival had to “think outside of the city” so to speak.

Plaquemines Parish allows 50% capacity or one person per 30 square feet at outside events. Hogs for the Cause hopes to keep their attendance lower than allowed with a capped capacity at 25% (approximately 5,000 patrons per day).

There will also be more of a separation between cook-off team areas and public areas this year. The tech-enabled wristband which has been used since 2008 will help reduce contact with vending booths and ticket lines.

Hogs for the Cause raises money to support families dealing with pediatric brain cancer. The Last event in 2019 raised around $2 million. Even with the smaller scaled event, Louapre and Hall will make sure the fundraising is a success this year.

“It’s important for us to continue doing this work,” said Louapre. “We have commitments to families and programs around the country. The pandemic hasn’t stopped the needs of these families.”

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One of the Nation’s Best Colleges Located in New Orleans

According to The Princeton Review, one of the nation’s best colleges is located right here in New Orleans.  Loyola University is recognized as one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education and has ranked as one of the most culturally inclusive universities in the country according to The Princeton Review’s “The Best 380 Colleges: 2016 Edition.” The Princeton Review, an education services company, had extensive surveys and interviews with
college students focusing on their opinions of their school and the experiences they have there.  A small number of more than the nation’s 2,500 4-year universities and colleges made the list, Loyola University being one of them. The goal of “The Best 380 Colleges: 2016 Edition” is to offer assistance to applicants when choosing the best college to fit their goals and aspirations.  The “Top 20″ national ranking lists provided by the survey makes it easier for students to compare what’s out there.

Loyola is recognized six times in the “Top 20” list for the following categories:

#2 Lots of Race/Class Interaction
#2 Town-Gown Relations are Great
#4 Best College Newspaper
#13 Best College Library
#14 Best Quality of Life
#18 Easiest Campus to Get Around

Loyola President Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D. said, “We are very proud that Loyola University New Orleans has been recognized by the Princeton Review in areas that reflect our rich and diverse culture, hands-on learning experiences and community engagement.”

Loyola is highlighted in the edition as “a warm private school in the heart of a big, vibrant city” where all students can find their best attributes in the University’s versatile academic program.  Loyola President Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D. states, “At Loyola, we challenge our students to ask questions and seek solutions in all areas of life, so that they can become critical thinkers and prepare to change the world.”  “The Maroon”, Loyola’s newspaper, was recognized among the top five college newspapers for the second year in a row by “The Princeton Review”.

Relocation to the New Orleans area is on the rise making it a great place to live. If you live in Plaquemines Parish you have a great advantage in the fact that you not only live in a top school district but are located near one of the top universities in the nation – Loyola University. Plaquemines Parish Schools are recognized for the 2014 highest passage rate in the metro New Orleans area on the state standardized testing grades 3 – 8.  The 4th grade LEAP scores tied in 2014 for the highest in Louisiana with a 96 percent passage rate, and 8th grade LEAP scores were second in the state. Students that graduate from Plaquemines Parish schools will have tremendous opportunities right here in their hometown of New Orleans.

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Plaquemines Parish Experiences a Growth in Home Prices

Plaquemines Parish, specifically Belle Chasse, saw a 7.9% growth in home prices during the first 6 months of 2015 according to Wade Ragas, local real estate consultant and expert.  The 7.9% growth was based on numbers pulled just before Hurricane Katrina, and overall in the Greater New Orleans area, home prices have jumped 50% since just before Katrina.  On the Southshore, the average sale price for a single-family home in New Orleans went from $114 / square foot to $166 / square foot which was a different in home pricing of $228,620 vs. $339,743.  Belle Chasse in Plaquemines Parish saw the 2nd highest increase in home prices in Greater New Orleans followed by a 6% increase in St. John the Baptist Parish.

Home prices on the Southshore in New Orleans have risen on average 4.6% per year for a record-high increase of 46%.  All numbers culminated for the 8-parish region surrounding Lake

Pontchartrain in the Greater New Orleans area saw an increase in home prices of 18.6%, which is still a pretty significant increase for a 10-year period.  However, interestingly, Jefferson Parish home pricing has not “moved” very much at all since Hurricane Katrina.

Homes for sale in Jefferson Parish have remained nearly the same pricing overall in this period with only a 1% growth in 10 years.  The average price of a home in Jefferson Parish is $194,510 which equals approximately $106 / square foot.  Spikes of home pricing in Jefferson Parish can be seen in prominent neighborhoods such as Old Metairie and Bucktown where the average price of a home is $494,724 amounting to $204 / square foot.

The Greater New Orleans area can actually be compared to larger metros in its growth rate.  These metros, such as Dallas, Houston, or Miami were seeing similar growth according to Ragas.
“We have a surge in demand, but we don’t have enough inventory to keep that at an affordable level,” Ragas said. “Problems like this tend to solve themselves if markets are left alone.”

Ragas claims that there is a supply of buyers but not such a large supply of homes to be purchased, which have led to bidding wars for homes located in safe and quality neighborhoods in the city.  The Parks of Plaquemines, located just across the river from New Orleans offers new lots for sale as well as new homes for sale.  When buying a new home in our master planned community, you can avoid the high price of purchasing a home in the city of New Orleans with lower taxes, lower utilities, and a much higher level of safety.  For More Information about purchasing a home at The Parks of Plaquemines, Contact Us at 504-364-2350 or E-mail Info@TheParksLifestyle.com.

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