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Council approves final change order for courthouse annex after locating original structural drawings
Summary
Council approved change order No. 7 for courthouse annex Hurricane Ida repairs, adding 77 days to the contract to reach a substantial-completion date; parish officials said original structural drawings were found at Tulane University archives and that discovery affected engineering for a planned high-density rolling storage installation.
The Lafourche Parish Council on March 10 approved change order No. 7 for the Courthouse Annex Hurricane Ida repair and renovation project, adding 77 days to the contract time and moving the substantial-completion checkpoint to March 31.
Parish administration described multiple causes for the request: schedule coordination for the high-density rolling storage system planned for the third floor, additional piping and insulation work, and an extended structural review. Officials said the original structural drawings for the building were not found in local archives but were located at Tulane University archives in New Orleans and were digitally delivered to the parish architect and engineers to confirm whether the storage system could be supported.
"After searching high and low and reaching out to a whole lot of resources, we were able to find the original structural drawings at the Tulane archives in New Orleans," the Parish President said at the meeting, noting that the drawings and subsequent engineering review informed the installation plan and schedule.
Project representatives said the system shipment and installation were imminent and that the change order should be the final time extension requested for this building. The council approved the change order by recorded vote (motion passed; eight yeas, zero nays, one absence).
Why it matters: The added time allows the parish to avoid potential structural issues before installing heavy rolling storage and to complete construction without incurring further unforeseen delays or liquidated damages.
What happens next: Administration and contractor will proceed toward installation once equipment arrives and structural approvals are fully documented; departments will provide follow-up on exact start dates and installation milestones.
