State Treasurer John Kennedy Announces Statewide Bond Commission Approvals

BATON ROUGE, LA -- The State Bond Commission met June 21 and approved funding for a variety of projects statewide, according to State Treasurer John Kennedy.

“The Bond Commission approved projects statewide ranging from budgetary loans for law enforcement and hospital districts to a $1 billion bond issue for a chemical processing facility,” said Treasurer Kennedy. “This funding will provide the improvements and sustained basic services local governments need to continue their economic growth.”

The Bond Commission approved:

Central and North Louisiana

- A $750,000 loan for the Avoyelles Parish Law Enforcement District to pay current expenses.
- A $1.2 million loan (Qualified Zone Academy Bond) for the Bienville Parish School Board for rehabilitating or repairing public school facilities throughout the Bienville Parish School System.
- A $571,000 loan for the Claiborne Parish Watershed District for acquiring and installing equipment to provide safety on the lakes and waterways in the parish.
- A $100,000 loan for Vernon Parish, Town of Rosepine for purchasing two emergency generators.
- $10 million in bonds and $2 million in refunding bonds for the DeSoto Parish Police Jury (International Paper Company Project) for financing the costs of certain solid waste disposal facilities at the company’s paper mill located in Mansfield.
- $2 million in bonds for Lincoln Parish, Ruston Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau for constructing, acquiring and/or improving a visitors center and office complex, including acquisition of all necessary land, equipment and furnishings.
- $4.5 million in bonds for Ouachita Parish, Monroe-West Monroe Convention & Visitors Bureau for the renovation, additions and improvements to the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens in Monroe.
- $992,000 in bonds for Rapides Parish, Sewerage District No. 1 for constructing and acquiring additions, extensions and improvements to the parish’s sewerage system, including equipment, accessories and properties.
- $58 million in bonds for the Louisiana Community Development Authority (Louisiana Tech University Student Housing and Recreational Facilities/Innovative Student Facilities, Inc. Project) for designing, developing, constructing and equipping student housing, recreational facilities and related facilities for student, faculty and staff of the University and the public and providing maintenance, repair and replacement to such facilities.
- An $800,000 loan for the Morehouse Parish Hospital Service District to fund current operations.

Baton Rouge Area      

- A $400,000 loan for St. Helena Parish, Hospital Service District No. 1 for current expenses.
- A $300,000 loan for West Baton Rouge Parish, Fire Protection District No. 1 for purchasing a new fire truck for Fire Protection Subdistrict No. 5 (Erwinville).
- $200 million in bonds for Livingston Parish, Juban Crossing Community Development District for acquisition and construction costs of surface water management and control systems; water distribution and transmission and wastewater collection and transmission facilities; roadwork; related incidental costs; funding accounts or subaccounts for capitalized interest; and debt service reserves.
- $688,000 in bonds for Tangipahoa Parish, Fire Protection District No. 1 to pay a portion of the costs of constructing a fire station and acquiring equipment and furnishings.
- $10 million in bonds for the Louisiana Community Development Authority (Capital Area YMCA Projects) for financing the costs of acquiring, constructing and renovating improvements to two existing facilities owned by the YMCA including all immovable property, furnishings, fixtures and facilities necessary.
- $15 million in additional GO Zone bonds (preliminary approval) for the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority for construction of the II City Plaza LLC Project in Baton Rouge.
- $65 million in GO Zone bonds (preliminary approval) for the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority (Kinder Morgan Project) for acquiring, constructing and installing warehousing facilities, storage tanks, piping, truck racks, rail tracks and racking, processing, blending and drumming facilities and related equipment and facilities for a chemical manufacturing plant located in Geismar and storage tanks piping, pumps and related equipment and facilities for feed stocks to and products from a biodiesel processing plant located in Harvey.
- $15 million in GO Zone bonds (preliminary approval) for the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority (Grigsby Properties, LLC Project) for financing, planning, design and construction of an expansion of office facilities located at 15635 Airline Highway in Baton Rouge; a new multipurpose facility to be constructed on property located in Port Allen; providing a debt service reserve fund; and reimbursing certain prior expenditures of the company.
- $100 million in GO Zone bonds (preliminary approval) for the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority (Air Products & Chemicals Project - Hydrogen Offgas & Pipelines Projects) for acquiring, constructing and installing an expansion and renovation to the company's existing hydrogen offgas facility at Taft, Louisiana and the construction of two hydrogen pipelines from Norco to New Orleans and from Plaquemine to Baton Rouge.
- $200 million in GO Zone bonds (preliminary approval) for the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority (Air Products & Chemicals Project - Steam Methane Reformer Baton Rouge Project) –for the acquisition, construction and installation of a steam methane reformer to produce hydrogen and steam for supply to the ExxonMobil Corporation in Baton Rouge and hydrogen for supply into the Air Products pipeline system.
- $6 million in GO Zone bonds for the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority (Sabel Steel Project) for financing the construction and equipping of a 78,500 square foot steel service center, warehouse and office, which is located on a 13 acre site on the west side of Flannery Road in East Baton Rouge Parish.
- A $100,000 loan for Pointe Coupee Parish to acquire 4.2 acres of land for a fire station.
 

Southwest Louisiana      
- $77,060 in paving certificates for the Acadia Parish Police Jury to pay the total cost of the construction of street paving improvements along certain streets within the corporate limits of the Parish and outside of municipal corporations.
- $3 million in bonds (preliminary approval) for Vermilion Parish Hospital Service District No. 2 for constructing improvements and acquiring equipment for the Abbeville General Hospital.
- $445,000 in bonds for the Village of Pine Prairie, Evangeline Parish Sewerage System for constructing and acquiring improvements and extensions to the parish’s sewerage system.
- $2.5 million in GO Zone bonds for the Industrial Development Board of the Parish of St. Mary, State of Louisiana, Inc. (Five Star Fuels, LLC Project) for the construction of a fuel storage terminal on the Charenton Canal and for the construction of bulkheading, access roads, a parking area and a small office building.
- $2.5 million in GO Zone bonds for the Calcasieu Parish Public Trust Authority (Luxor, LLC Project) to acquire and construct a 3-story, multi-tenant commercial office building and infrastructure improvements to be located in Lake Charles.
- $30 million in GO Zone bonds for the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority (Mortgage-Backed Securities Program) to provide a means of financing the cost of residential home ownership and development to provide adequate housing for residents of the eligible loan area available for mortgage loans located in the city and parish.
 

New Orleans Area

- A $9.9 million loan for the Orleans Parish Board of Assessors to finance a project for the constitutionally required reappraisal of property.

- $250 million in GO Zone bonds (preliminary approval) for the St. Tammany Parish Development District (Slidell Development Company Project) for acquiring, constructing and equipping a multi-purpose real estate development consisting of retail, residential, office, education and medical facilities to be built on a 400 acre site in Slidell.

- $2.75 million in GO Zone bonds for the St. Charles Parish Council (Ram Tool Project) to acquire, construct and install a 40,500 square foot distribution facility for a construction
supply wholesale distribution business.

- $25 million in GO Zone bonds for the St. Tammany Parish Development District (Cypress Medical, L.L.C. Project) to acquire, construct and install a medical office building, outpatient diagnostic center and diagnostic lab.

- $5 million in bonds (preliminary approval) for the City of New Orleans Industrial Development Board (Classic Construction of New Orleans Clio Village, L.L.C. Project) to acquire, construct and install a 38 unit multifamily housing facility to be located in New Orleans.

- $35 million in bonds (preliminary approval) for the City of New Orleans Industrial Development Board (HANO Development Projects) to acquire, construct and install mixed housing development facilities for the Housing Authority of New Orleans.

- $1 billion in GO Zone bonds (preliminary approval) for the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority (Faustina Hydrogen Products Project) for acquiring, constructing, installing and equipping a petroleum coke gasification facility located in St. James Parish.
 

                                                                                                     ###