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Harahan updates council on FEMA claims, Fire Station 25 dispute and Park of Heroes dedication
Summary
City staff reported more than two dozen FEMA claims, an ongoing dispute over repair/replacement funding for Fire Station 25 and a near-complete Park of Heroes scheduled for dedication April 25.
City staff briefed the Harahan City Council on Feb. 20 on progress with FEMA damage claims, grant and legislative outreach and the city’s parks projects, including the Park of Heroes dedication scheduled for April 25 at 11 a.m.
Brian Wallace, who presented the FEMA and parks update, said the city has registered 27 claims across 21 projects with an estimated gross damage of about $10.1 million. He said the Consolidated Resource Center (CRC) has signed off on roughly $4.8 million and that the federal share paid or pending is about $4.6 million; the city’s share in the projects is roughly $244,000.
Wallace called Fire Station 25 “the big gorilla in the room,” and said the station’s damage claim—filed in February 2022—contains hundreds of line items and technical reports. He said engineers’ estimates to repair the station to code were about $6.7 million while full replacement estimates exceed $10 million; FEMA and city calculations have diverged but Wallace said FEMA’s most recent assessment put Harahan’s repair percentage at 58.72%. He described ongoing work on mitigation and environmental reviews, and said the city continues to press congressional and state staff for support.
On parks, Wallace said the Park of Heroes is nearly finished and highlighted interpretive elements honoring 16 service members from Harahan. He said landscaping and finishing details remain and that the city has attracted corporate and international contributions and artifact loans. The council was told a dedication ceremony is set for April 25, 2025, and that the Park of Heroes contains a 16‑foot water wall, memorial columns and a peace garden honoring William Sudo.
Wallace also reviewed sewer and wastewater projects under design or seeking appropriations, including a multi‑million‑dollar Wilson Street gravity line replacement and a centrifuge at the wastewater treatment plant to increase capacity. He said the city has submitted federal appropriations requests and state capital outlay applications to support drainage, sewer collection and park improvements.
Council members and staff said they will continue to coordinate with federal and state offices as FEMA negotiations and grant applications proceed.
