Is the Colonial Pinnacle Nord du Lac lifestyle center going to open on time? What is on time?

Richard Yeilding, senior vice president for retail development at Colonial Properties Trust said at the official ground breaking in May 2008, “We have a dream about this piece of property. We will open Oct. 1, 2009, count on it.”

No timetable is available now. The national economy has affected the project greatly. Most of the stores originally planned for the development have experienced difficulties during this recession and some have gone out of business completely.

A nearby bulldozer sits dormant at the site of the Colonial Pinnacle Nord du Lac life style center at the northeast corner of the La. Highway 21 and U. S. Interstate 12 intersection. (Staff Photo by Debbie Glover)

Kohl’s, one of the anchors of the development, is ready to continue on. Suzanne Parsons Stymiest, spokesperson for St. Tammany Parish, said that Kohl’s is planning to pour their foundation this week. They will be located in the center of the development.

Part of the development is on hold and some of the major national retailers have asked for extensions due to the general economy, said Stymiest.

“It’s in everyone’s best interest for the project to proceed,” she said.

Parish President Kevin Davis had said the project would provide jobs and help keep tax money in the parish. At the time of the ground breaking, research showed 56 percent of parish residents shop outside the parish.

The access roads to the development from U. S. Interstate 12 and Louisiana Highway 21 are almost complete and will open shortly, said Stymiest. The developers paid $10 million for the access roads. The access roads from Interstate 12 via the new Tchefuncte Interchange will allow traffic to bypass the La. 21 Covington/Madisonville Exit 59 off I-12.

It is not known if the 1.1 million square foot center will be scaled back. Stymiest did say the parish has received permit inquiries for outlying parcels.

Original plans included a grocery store, a fitness center, baby and toy store, furniture store and movie dinner theater.

The surging La. 21 corridor is already producing a 55,000-square-foot Winn-Dixie and several other stores originally planned for the development.

It is not known how the building on La. 21 is affecting the lifestyle center plans.