First COVID, then Ida: Chauvin rec plans scuttled by two disasters. Here's the plan now.

Plans to rebuild a public gym and swimming pool, destroyed by Hurricane Ida, are on hold awaiting word from FEMA on how much money the federal agency will pay toward the work.

For years, Recreation District 7 has been looking to consolidate its facilities, now spread throughout the Chauvin area, to a 55-acre site at 4373 Bayouside Drive it bought in 2015. Officials say that would cut travel time for maintenance and make a one-stop area for all its services.

The property, at the intersection of Klondyke Road, already has a walking track, skate park, pavilion and some playground equipment.

But other facilities — the Little Caillou Gym, Smithridge Gym and Little Caillou Swimming Pool — were damaged by the Category 4 hurricane when it hit the area Aug. 29, 2021. The Smithridge Gym was patched up and is usable, but the other two are now under review by FEMA.

Recreation board members expect the gym and pool are total losses and, if they are, will replace them with the structures in the district's master plan. However, until the board has FEMA's decision, plans are on hold, said Rec 7 Vice Chairman Jay Duplantis.

"Once we know what kind of commitment there is on the FEMA side, we know what kind of commitment we need to kick in, and that's all going to determine what we will be able to replace it with," Duplantis said. "In the grand scheme of things, money is everything."

"And that's such a, I don't want to say, a disappointment to me, but it's really frustrating that when you go down there and our fire department is in the same situation," he said. "They've got a firehouse — Upper Little Caillou — looks like the day after the hurricane."

A structure must sustain at least 50% of its value in damage for FEMA to declare it totaled. Once a structure is rebuilt, FEMA can reimburse up to 90% of the cost if the process is approved. To avoid complications, pre-approval is sought before committing to a rebuilding process. The number of steps involved can delay the recovery process.

The Bayouside Drive property has a master plan that includes five phases. Two phases have already been completed, and the third includes a splash park and fishing pier. Phase 4 includes a footbal-soccer field as well as outdoor concession stands. Phase 5 includes the large recreation building with two basketball courts and a 10-lane, competitive swimming pool.

The estimated cost of the 10-year plan was around $18 million, Rec 7 Chairman Donald Tivet said, and about $12 million of work remains. The project was stopped by the pandemic and is now further complicated by Ida's aftermath.

"The hurricane caught us off guard and really set us back on that part of it, but, in all honesty, we're dead set on moving our facilities up to that location," Duplantis said.

Tivet said each of the old facilities' properties was going to be returned to their former owners or sold to community groups, and that's still the plan.

For example, the Little Caillou Gym was given to the rec district to build the gyms, so the buildings would be demolished and the land returned to St. Joseph Church. The Smithridge Gym will be kept open as long possible but weill eventually be demolished and the land returned to South Coast Corp. And the Little Caillou Swimming Pool will be filled in and new playground equipment added to the property.

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Rec District 7 sold a corner of the property to the Terrebonne Parish Public Library for its planned South Regional Branch. Another portion is being used by the Little Caillou Fire Department as a temporary staging area until its stations are rebuilt.

The gyms act as community centers, storm shelters and hubs for supplies after hurricanes.

By building a few miles north, the structures are safer from hurricanes and more centrally located, Duplantis said. He said the master plan didn't include baseball fields because the surrounding rec districts in Montegut and Bourg have those. Instead of duplicating, Rec 7 members thought they could use the space for other uses. Duplantis is excited about the swimming pool.

"I'm going to go to my deathbed advocating for swimming," he said. "I'm not wavering on that one."

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Chauvin gym and swimming pool unusable. Path forward stalled by FEMA.