On April 8, 2011, St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro ordered work stopped on the four mixed-income apartment complexes being built by Provident Realty Advisors in Chalmette because they don’t have proper parish permits. But U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan quickly ordered him to rescind the order or face contempt-of-court fines beginning today at 5 p.m. The fines would have begun at $25,000 a day and increased to $50,000 a day on Tuesday. On April 9th Taffaro rescinded the ordinance.

In December 2010, Provident was denied an extension of its four permits because the developer was informed that their property was no longer zoned for multifamily housing under new zoning regulations. After that denial, Provident and the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center once again went to federal court. HUD filed its complaint soon thereafter.

Under that federal pressure, the parish renewed the construction permits but, with the help of resident opposition and parish officials’ complimentary testimony, a state judge has since ruled the permit renewals invalid.

Read the nola.com articles:

4-8-11 Read “St. Bernard Parish orders work stopped on Provident Realty apartments” here.

4-9-11 Read “Taffaro bows to federal judge; rescinds order” here.

4-9-11 Read “Judge blasts St. Bernard Parish officials” here.

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