BAY ST. LOUIS, MS

Neel-Schaffer can help bring your property back to life

The Hancock County Jail in downtown Bay St. Louis sustained severe damage during Hurricane Katrina, and a new jail was slated to be built further inland. The jail demolition and construction of a new downtown parking garage in its place was selected by the Mississippi Development Authority as a Katrina CDBG “Ground Zero” project, as it was considered to be a critical economic development piece in the city’s disaster recovery.

Neel-Schaffer was selected by the City of Bay St. Louis to perform a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) prior to property acquisition. Based on past uses of the property and nearby properties, a Phase II ESA was conducted and subsequent rounds of soil and groundwater testing were necessary.

Neel-Schaffer worked closely with Bay St. Louis officials and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to identify and resolve the site issues and to obtain a No Further Action status for the site, allowing the project to move forward on schedule. A blighted property was redeveloped with an award-winning green structure with sustainable features that include a solar panel array and a rainwater harvest irrigation system.