LED Secretary Bourgeois: U.S. Department of Interior Decision to Reverse Historic District Designation in River Parish Region is a Win for Louisiana Job Growth

BATON ROUGE, La. – A U.S. Department of Interior decision to reverse efforts to create a National Historic Landmark District along nearly 22,800 acres of the Mississippi River in the River Parishes is a positive development for future job growth and keeping Louisiana economically competitive, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said.

The decision, announced on February 13, means companies looking to create jobs and invest in Louisiana will have far more certainty when they are selecting sites in the River Parish region, which includes St. John, St. James and St. Charles parishes. Creating a historic district along the river would have subjected companies to a burdensome review process that held the potential of stifling development in a region where companies have demonstrated a willingness to invest.

“The huge area this historic district would have encompassed features access to the Mississippi River, our five deep draft ports and Louisiana’s extensive rail system – features that are key to Louisiana attracting companies that are large job creators,” Secretary Bourgeois said. “We are singularly focused on Positioning Louisiana to Win, and we already have ample evidence that creating the historic district would have made it difficult – if not impossible – to create new jobs in a region that has struggled to attract economic development because of uncertainty.”

Secretary Bourgeois joined Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Aurelia S. Giacometto last year in urging the Department of the Interior to reverse the process of designating the historic district. In her September 12 letter, Secretary Bourgeois cited Greenfield Louisiana LLC’s decision in August to withdraw its application for a grain elevator as evidence of the burden the historic district would create, and expressed concern that other companies would be similarly affected by a historic designation.

“We did not want to see what happened with Greenfield happen to other potential development in this region,” Bourgeois said. “I applaud Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the Trump administration for acting quickly on Louisiana’s request to end this review and provide more certainty to companies that are looking to do business in Louisiana and offer new job opportunities to Louisianans.”

About LED
Louisiana Economic Development is responsible for strengthening the state’s business environment and creating a more vibrant Louisiana economy. LED cultivates jobs and economic opportunity for the people of Louisiana, and promotes business opportunity for employers of all sizes. For more information, visit OpportunityLouisiana.com.