FEMA says Jefferson Parish central office building should be demolished

Add the central office administration building in Harvey, La., to the growing list of facilities in the Jefferson Parish public school system that must meet the wrecking ball due to irreparable damages from Hurricane Katrina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the building is eligible for demolition. Officials hope to level it by the end of the year. Originally, FEMA had intended to salvage and repair the 39-year-old, two-story structure, which was inundated by rainwater during the hurricane. But a new team of federal officials has determined that the damage to the facility met the required threshold of more than 50 percent. FEMA estimates construction costs at a $13.6 million for a new administration complex. The agency has pledged to finance three-fourths of that, with insurance covering the remainder.

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