"Louisiana airport plan could fly with feds"

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Airport plan could fly with feds
By John Dupont
The Gonzales (LA) Ascension Citizen


The proposed intermodal cargo airport could soon pick up support from
officials in the nation's capital, according to the head of the Louisiana
Airport Authority.

Glen Smith hinted to board members that high-ranking federal government
officials could help bring the project to fruition faster than the LAA has
anticipated.

Aside from numerous congressional delegates, LAA members met with Felipe
Mendoza, the federal director of the General Services Administration, the
agency that oversees all buildings owned by the federal government.

"They asked how many jobs this project would create, and said President
George W. Bush may want to get behind it because job growth is a major part
of the presidential agenda," Smith said Thursday during the monthly meeting
of the LAA. "When we told him our formula and that of our Canadian backers
came out to the same number of jobs, Mendoza responded, 'Good God! The
President needs to know about this, so this project may have taken a
national mentality.

An economic study conducted last year by state economist Loren Scott
indicated the facility could establish as many as 60,000 new jobs, create
more than $40 billion in household earnings and funnel nearly $175 billion
in new sales for Louisiana businesses over a 40-year period. 
  
SNC Lavelin, a Canadian development group, and Canadian Commercial Corp. -
the backer of the project - has set an aggressive time frame for the
project, which includes the completion of public/private acquisition by the
end of this year.

The groups want to complete all land acquisition by 2006 and conclude Phase
1 - which involves construction of the first runway - by the end of 2007.

The project could meet the deadline if the FAA honors the environmental
studies conducted through the LAA, Smith said.

URS Corporation, the developer for the project, already has the wheels in
motion on the environmental study, the most crucial part of the project at
this phase.

The board made the trip to Washington for a barnstorming tour to tout the
plan, in which they hosted 18 meetings to discuss the project. 
 
The trip also gave members the opportunity to mend fences with Democratic
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, who has since reconsidered her stance on the
project.

"She had been against this project from the onset, but I think at this point
we've convinced her that this is a cargo airport, and will not compete with
Louis Armstrong International in New Orleans or Baton Rouge Metropolitan
Airport," Smith said.

The facility is drawing interest from federal officials as air travel
continues to grow. The U.S. cargo economy has reached a daily average of $
2.7 billion per day, according to the federal Commerce Department.

The Federal Aviation Administration has taken a closer look at the project
because it is looking at ways to link cargo airports nationwide for greater
efficiency in the transportation of goods by air.

"They're looking at this project as the prototype," Smith said. "The FAA is
changing its mentality on how to approach these facilities, largely because
of the willingness of private industry to help support the project."

The financing issue may also attract the White House because of a
willingness from the private sector to assist in funding the project when
the federal deficit has reached record levels.

Support from the federal level comes as the LAA prepares to push for bills
in the upcoming state legislative session that would provide funding for
land acquisition and other expenses.

Steve Joffrion, the board member from Ascension Parish, says he is pleased
with the progress on the project.

"Every meeting gets more and more encouraging - it looks like this could
become a reality," he said. "This is the key to a cancer-free future, and
provides a better opportunity for our children and grandchildren."

Land acquisition - which many considered a roadblock for the project - could
come easier if it can move through plans with Evan Bell Corp. of
Donaldsonville, which said in December it would endorse plans for the
airport to locate in the area and would consider selling land to push the
project forward.
 
Evan Bell owns 15,000 acres of the proposed 25,300-acre site, including
4,000 acres considered for Phase 1.

In addition, Evan Belle may donate between 50 and 100 acres of land to start
the project.

White Castle Mayor Maurice Brown, whose municipality has suffered from the
loss of industry, says the interest of federal officials gives him hope for
both the project and his town of just under 2,000.

"My concern was how Congress stood on this, but it looks like now we may
have them on board," he said. "This gives us a renewed zeal to move forward
and make this a reality."


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