St. Bernard Courthouse Renovations Close To Done

CHALMETTE, La. (AP) — Renovations to the 1930s-era St. Bernard Parish Courthouse, damaged by Hurricane Katrina, are expected to be finished by August — over budget and behind schedule.

The courthouse renovations got underway in 2010 when contractors discovered mold in the walls and air ducts.

The Times-Picayune reports (http://bit.ly/KUSo8F ) the renovations are being funded by FEMA. The work was originally estimated to cost $3 million but estimates have ballooned to about $11.5 million, according to Parish President Dave Peralta.

The work was expected to be done by last December but Peralta says renovations will likely go on until late August.

The courthouse was built during the Great Depression under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration. William Hyland, the parish historian, says its design was inspired by the grand temple in Mesopotamia.

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