University official says Upland Road recycling project still active but slow; financing and land remain hurdles

John Sutherland, chief innovation and research officer at the University of Louisiana Monroe, told the DeSoto Parish Police Jury on Jan. 6 that work on the proposed Upland Road recycling and repurposing “SMART Center” remains active but has slowed while private partners pursue financing and suitable property. The project would focus on paper, plastics and metals and seek to repurpose organics rather than simply add landfill airspace.

Sutherland said the two private partners — a New York firm and a local agent, R2 Rentals — have been working for about a year and a half and have discussed multiple possible sites. “The most important obstacle … is full financing for it,” he said, adding that the team has looked at several parcels that were rejected for reasons including contamination, wetlands and traffic constraints. He said ideal sites range from about 40 acres on the low end to 75–80 acres on the high end and preferably within 10–15 miles of the Monday landfill.

Why it matters: the project would reduce waste that occupies landfill airspace and could create local job training and certification opportunities, Sutherland said. He emphasized that developers are not asking the parish for construction funding: “they're not asking for any local or state monies,” he told the jury, saying the partners are pursuing private financing. He estimated the low end of project investment “in the 250” and the high end in the “600” range, and explained that final costs depend on the composition of the waste stream and the scale needed to achieve economies of scale.

Jurors pressed the presenter on site selection, partnerships and timelines. Several jurors asked whether the university had approached large landholders, including Cleco; Sutherland said the partners spent nearly nine months negotiating with Cleco but did not reach a deal and that the project team has continued to pursue alternatives. “I don't feel that we're any closer to working something out with Cleco than we were when we first started,” he said.

Sutherland described two volume thresholds the private partners consider critical: about 2,500 tons per day would capture the economies needed for profitability, while anything below about 1,000 tons per day would not yield the required scale. He urged the jury to propose alternative parcels and said the project team hopes to present two to three viable options within the parish by the end of spring.

The jury did not take a formal vote on the project; the presentation concluded with staff and jurors agreeing to continue discussions and to provide property leads to the project team.