Tagged: Jefferson Parish

A business recovery center to help companies deal with the impact of Hurricane Isaac has been set up in Jefferson Parish.

The center is a joint venture of the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Louisiana Economic Development and the Louisiana Small Business Development Centers. It is operating at JEDCO's facility in Avondale.

The center will provide a range of services and counseling.

A full list of services is available online at www.jedco.org.

Jefferson Parish officials say winds from Hurricane Isaac have downed power lines and trees in the New Orleans suburb and heavy rainfall has caused minor street flooding.

Spokeswoman Kriss Fortunato said no injuries had been reported.

Power provider Entergy Corp. said about 164,000 customers were without power early Wednesday.

Grand Isle, the barrier island at Jefferson's extreme southern tip, was hit hard by the storm as it wobbled ashore overnight.

Heavier damage was expect there although most residents evacuated ahead of the storm.

Jefferson Parish officials say a shelter opened in Terrytown for Lafitte, Crown Point and Barataria residents has closed.

Authorities said people who had been at the shelter have been moved to Westside Primary School in Hammond.

Jefferson Parish has declared a State of Emergency in advance of the effect of Tropical Storm Isaac, the parish said in a press release.

Parish President John Young signed the emergency declaration earlier this afternoon, and the parish's Emergency Management office will be closely monitoring the storm, the parish said.

All pump stations requiring manning will be fully staffed for the duration of the storm and its aftermath.

The cost of land along Veterans Memorial Boulevard — east Jefferson Parish's main commercial corridor —has reached historic highs indicating a strong retail market, according to SRSA Commercial Real Estate of Metairie.

SRSA partner Donald Schwarcz tells New Orleans CityBusiness his figures show the strip's most valuable property costs as much as $60 per square foot, six times as much as land in eastern New Orleans, four times the cost along Lapalco Boulevard in west Jefferson and nearly twice as much as the most expensive commercial areas of St. Tammany Parish.