Saints Place Subdivision is being replaced by a large warehouse

Plans for the Saints Place Subdivision have been withdrawn to make way for a “regional style warehouse” in Destrehan.

“We’re working on a very big project dealing with a company that wants to build a rather large warehouse in St. Charles Parish,” said project architect Joey Murray. “It actually came across that it affected the Saints Place Subdivision so we were left with a kind of  ‘What do we do?’ situation.”

Destrehan developer Todd Trosclair had gotten approval for the subdivision from the parish’s Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as Parish Council, but also made two changes on the plan that required their approval, too, Murray said. Trosclair agreed to pull the project, located near the East Regional Library, rather than approach them for a third change to allow for the warehouse project.

“We’d basically be starting fresh,” Murray said. “We have withdrawn, not only the preliminary plat that’s been approved, but also have withdrawn the rezoning request because that, too, would have been affected.”

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) required more testing on the site (the former 1,400-acre Pan American Refinery property) because of proposed residential use.

A revised master plan is in the works for the site.

“Now, we’ve entered into an agreement with a company that acquired a piece of property greater than 25 acres for a warehouse,” he said. “We are going to apply back to the parish for a new preliminary plat based on this purchase agreement in place.”

Murray said he could not name the company at this time, but he did say the area’s proximity to I-310 makes it attractive for this development.

The new master plan would not likely include any residential development, which once included the 40-acre subdivision and a 200-unite apartment complex. He also said there will be public hearings on the new plan.

“We’re studying whether there will be any future residential in that section,” he said. “We’re not ruling it out. The driving factor is increasing demand for warehouse space.”