Work begins to build Slidell Senior Center after bout with FEMA

SLIDELL, La. -- Construction of a new Slidell Senior Center officially kicked off Friday, with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Cousin Street site.

"This feels as though there's a new beginning," said Mary Toti, the director of the Council on Aging St. Tammany.

Hurricane Katrina blew a hole in the room and the inside of the Senior Center flooded, so now the old Senior Center is gone after demolition was completed.

FEMA refused to pay for it to be rebuild, ruling the Senior Center a non-essential building.

At that point, the battle began.

"It was as hard as it could be to work through the bureaucratic confusion that went on," Toti added.

FEMA reversed its decision and agreed to fund both the demolition and the rebuilding of the Senior Center – $1.83 million all together. Even FEMA's most outspoken critic, Slidell Mayor Ben Morris, acknowledged their recent cooperation.

"FEMA's become much more responsive," Morris said. "I appreciate their attitude now, and the way they're trying to work to help as opposed to drag things out."

Since Katrina, COAST has moved Senior Center services to several locations, but because the facilities didn't measure up to the old Senior Center, many services had to be cancelled. Those services will be restored when the new Senior Center opens.

"This is going to start bringing our senior community together," Morris said, "and I'm very excited about that."