Morgan City mayor presents plan for iconic school and to create housing

CENTERVILLE -- Morgan City officials have one plan that they think could solve several dilemmas, including the future of the M.D. Shannon Elementary building and the need for affordable housing.

Mayor Lee Dragna told the St. Mary School Board about it Thursday. The board says it's willing to negotiate. The Morgan City Council has already voted to hear what the School Board has to say.

Dragna said Thursday that he and Chief Administrative Office Charlie Solar came up with this idea:

--The city government would acquire the Shannon building and the city block on which it stands. The three-story building faces Brashear Avenue near the east end of the La. 182 bridge.

--The portion of the block closest to Wise Street would be the site for a development of 16 homes, oriented north-to-south in two rows with a common green space between the rows. The housing plan would be under the auspices of the city's development authority.

--The School Board, which closed Shannon Elementary in 2015 as the district's enrollment declined, would be relieved of the responsibility for the building's upkeep, insurance and utilities. Alton Perry, the School Board's chief financial officer, estimated that the School Board spends about $40,000 a year on the building. The Morgan City government contributes $1,000 a month toward the building's utilities.

--The city would continue to have use of the Shannon gym for Biddy basketball and, possibly, a future Biddy volleyball program as well as other events.

--The future of the M.D. Shannon building, which once housed Morgan City High School in one of the city's most distinctive pieces of architecture, would be more secure.

When the homes are occupied, Dragna said, "the city gets revenue. The School Board gets revenue on land that never had revenue before."

No financial details have been made public. But the idea did draw some positive reaction.

"I think it's a great idea," board member Michael Taylor told Dragna. "Thank you for the work you've done.

"I hope we come to a quick agreement."