Like the thousands of residents who suffered through the storms, Jackson Barracks - home to the Louisiana National Guard - was thoroughly devastated.

WWL-TV

Progress on Jackson Barracks has been slow, but it's beginning to show real progress.

The base was covered in up to 22 feet of water, with every single building on the installation either damaged, flooded or destroyed.

There was one building that didn't have water in it from the building, but had roof damage and it flooded from the top down.

Like the rising waters, doubts surged as to whether Jackson Barracks would remain and rebuild.

But those questions were answered less than one year after Katrina when the historic military site announced a $200 million, massive rebuilding project.

Twenty one months later, foundations are being poured, walls are coming up and bricks are being laid, all part of a master-plan.

What was barren ground is now home to buildings like temporary housing and central plants that hold all the mechanical necessities.

They're being built above sea level in the event of another flood.

The Louisiana National Guard's assistant adjutant general said Jackson Barracks is on the fast track and calls it a sure sign of strength ahead for the local economy.

“We employ some 700 full time workers,” said Major General Hunt Downer. “Some 3,000 National Guardsmen came through here monthly for their training. We were a $110 million economic impact on New Orleans in the metro area and the surrounding parishes. That's big business.”

Jackson Barracks technically sits in Orleans Parish, but the economic benefits are expected to cross parish lines. Leaders in St. Bernard hope it will help restore the key communities so devastated by the storm - areas like Arabi and the Lower Ninth Ward, both low-lying communities that have struggled since the storm.

Some residents remain unconvinced of Jackson Barracks' impact on their neighborhoods, but parish leaders disagree, saying restoration of the base will provide normalcy, and more.

“We're hoping it's going to be an economic stimulus for restaurants, retailers that contine to come in, and the housing market,” said St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro.

Downer said that ultimately around $250 million will be spent on the Jackson Barracks’ project.

The first of the repairs will be finished later this year, while others are between two and four years from completion.