The St. Tammany Parish Council last week dealt a significant setback to a developer and real estate broker’s controversial plan to bring apartments and retail to an area near Mandeville, where infrastructure has sometimes struggled to keep up with the fast-growing parish.
Plans for the two properties —which are about 30 acres and sit east of Louisiana Highway 59 and south of Strain Road — have not been finalized. But Mike Saucier, president of Covington-based Gulf States Real Estate Services, told the Council a future development could include over 250 apartments, a grocery store and other amenities.
The prospect upset nearby residents. In November, more than 150 residents attended a community meeting to share their traffic and flooding concerns, said Council member Arthur Laughlin, who hosted the event and whose district includes the area…