It’s summer in the Gulf South.
And we’re no stranger to natural disaster.
But it doesn’t have to cripple us.
Our communities are becoming more resilient, and as such, we’re responding to natural disasters with smarter operations, and increased resources. As a regional leader in disaster recovery, our approach is different. And it starts with empathy.
Consider our approach with St. Mary’s Dominican High School after Hurricane Katrina. At the time, we were already under contract to build the school’s new gymnasium. Then, of course, Katrina brought mass devastation to the greater New Orleans area, and Dominican wasn’t spared from near complete loss. Work stopped on the new gymnasium, and we’ll never forget the call from Dr. Thomas, the school’s headmaster, asking “…can you get my girls back in school before next semester in January?”. It was an emotional time for all. We immediately turned our attention to recovery, remediation, and rebuilding. Our team of project managers, superintendents, and subconsultants worked around the clock. St. Mary’s Dominican High School was one of the first schools to reopen its doors in Orleans Parish the semester following Hurricane Katrina.
We respond and mobilize quickly to minimize downtime and get our clients safely back to a state of operations. But often, the funding mechanisms in place for disaster recovery can be complex and confusing. Over the years, our team has become well-versed in coordinating with insurance companies, local municipalities, FEMA, and public/private partnerships. Currently, we’re partnered with Lycee Français de la Nouvelle Orleans to renovate the former Priestly Junior High School building and build a new adjacent expansion for the school. The 83-year old historic building was also ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The board purchased the building in 2015 – it had been empty for 22 years. Federal assistance through FEMA, tax credits, philanthropic support, and private financing is making the school student-worthy.
Our 42 years of experience as full-time builders, coupled with a strong, expansive network of specialty subcontractors, ensures that no challenge is too complex to get you back to operations faster, and more economically efficient. As such, our team is ready to assist with:
- Dewatering, demolition, and remediation
- Temporary repairs to prevent additional damage
- Structural and roof repairs
- HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems repairs
- Interior rebuild – sheetrock, millwork, painting, and flooring
