The Jefferson Parish Council on Wednesday adopted a modified version of its spending plan for $84 million in federal pandemic stimulus funds, putting more toward the planned reconfiguration of The Shrine on Airline and renovating the Alario Center, while reducing the amounts that will be spent at the discretion of council members.
The council bumped the amount for the two major projects from $15 million to $20 million — $15 million for the baseball complex built for the New Orleans Zephyrs and later used by the Baby Cakes minor league baseball teams in Metairie, and $5 million for the Alario Center in Westwego.
At-large Council member Scott Walker said that after initial discussions it was decided that more money was needed to address the issues at both facilities. That means that the two at-large council offices will now get $1 million each, not $2 million, and each of the five council districts will get $12.4 million, not the $13 million in the initial proposal.
The council's ordinance does not include requirements for how council members should spend the money, but there are some federal guidelines and the parish set up a task force to make recommendations. Council members reiterated at the meeting that the idea is to focus on high-impact, transformational projects that don't generate excessive operating and maintenance costs in the future.
Council member Dominick Impastato said his effort will be focused on fighting blight, reflecting previous comments about making improvements around Metairie's Lafreniere Park through land banking and storefront improvement grants.
Walker pushed back against online criticism that implied the money was a no-strings-attached windfall to council members, noting the work of the task force that began late last year.
"Anyone who thinks this is done quickly and without examination, they are mistaken," he said.
Walker added that converting the Shrine on Airline from a stadium built for minor league baseball to one that can also host concerts, football and soccer games, and New Orleans Saints scrimmages will have a major impact on the area around it. A redesigned Shrine could help the area attract a minor league soccer team as well.
The NOLA Gold professional rugby team currently calls the 10,000-seat stadium home.
The work at the stadium is expected to cost more than $15 million, but officials recently said they hope to get additional money from the state for the project.
Walker said the west bank will benefit from an Alario Center upgrade that could include new basketball courts, a new scoreboard and a reconfiguration of some of its existing facilities to allow it to host Mardi Gras balls and other events.
More details on how the money will be spent by various district council members in the coming weeks and months.
Council member Jennifer Van Vrancken, for example, has said she plans to use some of her funds for a long-planned multipurpose building and a parking structure and transit hub in the Fat City area.