At a recent meeting of the CAS Board, a vote was made to award the contract to Regal Construction to continue with construction of our new Cultural Center located in the heart of Belle Chasse. Since breaking ground in December 2021, Regal has completed all underground work, the slab and stamped concrete. The next phase of the project will be erection of the steel structure of the building along with installation of the timbers for the outdoor pavilion. Completion of the building is expected to take about one year.
There was much discussion and debate over the decision. Concerns over the economy, rising construction costs and the balance owed for completion were weighed with the desire of the board and CAS members to move forward with construction after many years of planning. The board resurrected the project after previously voting to put the construction on hold due to rising costs. After receiving pledges of $1,000.000 toward construction this week, the board revisited the previous decision. Several board members expressed concerns over the expense and risks involved, but in the end the vote was made to work together toward making the goal of a new cultural center a reality for our community.
Through much hard work and generosity by so many in our organization over the years, we are in the position to be able to move forward and continue the legacy of Croatians in Southeast Louisiana. At this time, we need everyone in our community to come together to make the final push to bring this project to completion so that it can be enjoyed in the near future and for generations to come.