The six-story Slidell Towers building where Pontchartrain Drive turns into Front Street is starting to look like a brand new building thanks to a massive renovation project undertaken by the parish government.

The Towers, as it is commonly known, used to house offices for various parish government departments. Then, in September 2005, Hurricane Katrina pushed 10 feet of water into the building, and the storm’s high winds blew out windows and severely damaged the roof and walls.

For the past year and half workers have been literally changing The Towers into a brand-new building. Gone is the beige stone exterior, replaced with large panes of dark glass that mirror the skies over Slidell.

Construction continues on the renovated St. Tammany Slidell Towers Administrative building for the Parish. The stone exterior has been replaced by glass. (Staff Photo by Erik Sanzenbach)

St. Tammany Parish government spokesperson Suzanne Parsons Stymiest said the building should be open for business by the end of 2009.

It is funded with money from the parish and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

When completed, The Towers will house several different parish government agencies and departments, including Archives, Permits, Planning, Assessor, Clerk of Courts and the Registrar of Voters. The parish president will also have an office in The Towers, and there will be St. Tammany Parish Council Chambers.

Both the parish president and the council will still have their permanent offices on Koop Drive in Mandeville, but Stymiest said the council may hold meetings in Slidell on a recurring basis. She said now that there is equipment for television broadcasting in both locations, the council can televise meetings from both locations.

The reconstruction of The Towers is under the management of the Slidell company Dammon Engineering Inc. Chief Executive Officer Pete Dammon has talked about turning the first floor of The Towers into a museum honoring those who lost their lives in Hurricane Katrina.

However, Stymiest said that idea is still under advisement because FEMA money is being used to rebuild the office building, and having something like a museum on the first floor would go against FEMA flood mitigation plans.