St. Tammany is growing by leaps and bounds.

A groundbreaking featuring Parish President Kevin Davis and U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, was held at 1201 Ochsner Blvd. in Covington recently where construction has begun on the 52,000-square-foot Stone Creek Club & Spa.

The site was chosen by LLOG Exploration Co., an exploratory oil company, to build its $48 million office park.

A rendering depicts a completed Stone Creek Club & Spa in the 1200 block of Ochsner Boulevard in Covington. The 52,000-square-foot fitness center is slated for completion in early summer of 2009.

A 105,000-square-foot office building, an adjoining executive conference center and the state of the art health club are slated for the parish

“Exciting things are happening in St. Tammany. This is the new place to be in Louisiana,” Davis said.

A groundbreaking for the office building was held earlier this year.

After LLOG chose to build its corporate office in St. Tammany, instead of Houston where it originally planned, it decided to construct the health club along with the offices as an extra benefit for employees. The club will also be open to the public.

The fitness center will feature group exercise and mind-body studios, 12 championship tennis courts, a six-lane, 25-meter lap pool, a resort-style recreation pool, a restaurant, childcare center for club members, luxurious locker rooms with digital security systems, a nine-room spa treatment center and an indoor basketball court.

But the most impressive feature of the site, club General Manager Larry Conner said, will be its surroundings.

“Three sides of the facility will be surrounded by natural Louisiana marshlands,” Conner said. It will create a tranquil environment members can enjoy from the wraparound balcony, Conner said.

Monthly dues begin at $101 for individuals, $161 for couples and $191 for families. Reduced fees are available for emergency responders and military personnel. For more information on the center, visit www.stonecreekclubandspa.com or call 801-7100.

“The club is for the whole family. We want to make sure the kids have as much fun as the adults,” Conner said.

“This is just another reason for people to not only live in St. Tammany, but to also work here,” Scalise said.

The facility is scheduled for completion early summer of 2009.