St. Tammany Parish Is in the Top 3 Fastest Growing Parishes

St. Tammany Parish is in the top 3 fastest growing parishes in Louisiana.  The entire Baton Rouge area (Ascension & Livingston Parishes) had the highest amount of growth in 2016 at 3.66% and 3.27% respectively.  St. Tammany Parish grew by 3.08% from 246,026 residents in 2014 to 253,602 in 2016. The census shows that there is a lot of “Southshore / Northshore movement” with people moving into St. Tammany Parish from Jefferson and Orleans parishes.  There are also new home

residents moving in from Tangipahoa and Washington parishes, adjacent to St. Tammany Parish.  People from Pearl River County (Picayune, MS) also reported moving to St. Tammany Parish in 2016.

St. Tammany Parish has been on a progressive growth trend since 2010 with 7.5% growth from 2010 to 2016.  There are two main reasons for this – the birth of new children and the steady incoming tide of new or returning St. Tammany homeowners.  The actual numbers that show this growth are 234,568 residents in 2010 grew to 253,602 residents reported on the census during 2016.  This growth is not overshadowed by the “Katrina effect” where we saw a surge of home buyer and renters from the Southshore right after the storm.  This growth is independent and accounts for 2,000 to 3,000 people moving to St. Tammany Parish annually over the last 16 years.

St. Tammany Parish also has a high “retention rate” with more people staying in the parish than

moving out of it.  In 2016, for instance 2,416 more people moved into the parish than those moving out. Also, St. Tammany Parish has proven to have the ability to attract a “brand new audience,” attracting more people moving into the parish from out-of-state than any other parish in Southeast Louisiana.

Other facts to note include that births in St. Tammany Parish have been approaching the amount of 3,000 since 2011.  In 2016, that birth rate amount finally topped 3,000, so that has accounted immensely for growth in St. Tammany Parish. The “small town feel” with all of the trappings of commercial development, retail, entertainment, dining, and services of the cities of Slidell, Covington, and Mandeville are the draw of people moving into the parish.  Although still considered a “bedroom community,” St. Tammany Parish also offers homeowners pretty much any lifestyle amenity they could need.

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Pelican Park Receives Excellence in Parks Award

One of Mandeville’s treasured landmarks which also services up to 1 million visitors a year, Pelican Park was recognized by the Louisiana Recreation and Park Association, receiving the Excellence in Parks Award for 2017 at the association’s recent annual conference in Baton Rouge.

Pelican Park and the Castine Center are located in an independently goverened district in St. Tammany Parish called Recreation District No. 1.  All oversight for this district is handled by a

seven-member administrative board. The district takes in sales tax from its approximately 70,000 and uses the funds to run the park and event hall of the Castine Center.

Pelican Park itself offers 33 athletic fields, 2 gyms with a total of 4 courts, a dog park, walking trail, outdoor volleyball courts, and an 18-hole disc golf course. Events are held regularly at the Castine Center’s 46,000 square-foot facility located on the Park grounds.  Care and maintenance of Pelican Park and the Center are actually done by a lot of volunteer work.

“Thanks to the past and present dedicated volunteers, coaches and staff who have all contributed to making Pelican Park what it is today,” said Kathy Foley, Pelican Park Director, regarding the presentation of the Award of Excellence.

St. Tammany Parish’s Recreation District No. 1 recently bought approximately 100 acres to expand the services offered by Pelican Park.

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Interesting History of the Bank Building in Old Mandeville

The Candy Bank, located in Mandeville at the corner of Claiborne and Carroll Street, famous slogan is “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!” This sweet filled store sells candy and ice cream and is owned by Thomas and Lisa Keiffer. Why they chose this catchy phrase can be explained by the history of this well-known Old Mandeville landmark.

St. Tammany Banking Company and Savings Bank was founded in 1905. The first president and one

of its founders was Harvey E. Ellis.  The bank opened a branch in Mandeville and was the first tenant to occupy the building in 1907.  The company opened its doors with $5000 in stock on January 1, 1907.

The building was built in the Beaux Arts style that was popular from 1880 to the 1920’s and was not only the largest building around but also the sturdiest.  Along with its decorative touches such as a gable roof with exposed rafters and intricate cornices, the building was built like a “German Bunker.”  Locals knew this was the place to go when inclement weather was upon them. “The old vault is the place to go,” said current owner Thomas Keiffer. A well-known 20th century author Arthemise Goertz refers to the large bank building in her novel, “New Heaven, New Earth.” The main character, Dr. Victor duRocher, declares: “When the fences go, we must go too. We must get out. We must go to the bank building.”

With the change in the commercial corridor of Old Mandeville from Carroll Street to Girod Street the bank building has since housed many different tenants and businesses. The building has been a previous owner’s residence, a legal office, a medical office, a photography studio, a pet supply store and a coffee house. Many Mandeville residents even remember when the building was part of Windhaven Antiques owned by Ms. Dale Gale. Luckily this old historical landmark has kept up with the times and has held its purpose.

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Moving to St. Tammany Parish Good for Business

For people moving to St. Tammany Parish, this part of the Greater New Orleans area includes a diverse arrangement of local businesses, franchises, and big box retail stores.  There are also several large corporations that have locations in the parish, such as Chevron, LLOG, Budweiser, WalMart, and others.  It’s hard to describe a bedroom community that also includes opportunities for incredibly

well-paying jobs with national corporations and plenty of shopping, dining, & entertainment venues.  Main mall box stores include Belk’s, Dillards, & JC Penny, and other huge chains include Academy Sports + Outdoors, Target, Best Buy, and more.

However, St. Tammany Parish has cities in it that are still considered “small town” in the way that people interact.  Referral business is still one of the biggest factors when getting new business as an entrepreneur.  Pretty much any time anyone meets anyone, they immediately try to figure out the six or 16 degrees of separation of the people you and they might both know.  Because of this, the parish has great quality of life, and has experienced phenomenal growth over the last 16 years.

Now, according to the St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation, 2016 has shown a 20%

increase in new business incorporations for entrepreneurs and businesses moving into the area compared to 2015’s numbers. This growth was focused towards the last 2 quarters of the year specifically the 4th quarter.

“We saw a significant uptick in new business incorporations in the second half of the year,” said Brenda Bertus, the foundation’s chief executive officer. “And we saw the most incorporations in the fourth quarter. We’re already seeing this trend continue in 2017.”
An astonishing 54.1% increase in new business incorporations were recorded during the 4th quarter for a total of 2,401 businesses in St. Tammany Parish. Also, hotel sales reflected the same growth with a total of $55.2 million and 18.8% of that amount adding up in the 4th quarter of 2016.  Estimated total sales and sales tax collections were as follows: $4.8 billion and $229 million respectively.

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