Iberville Parish welcomes industry, tourism

• Westside bureau
• Published: Dec 30, 2005

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The parish seat is Plaquemine, and the number of residents reported in the 2000 U.S. Census was 33,320.

Like its neighbor, West Baton Rouge Parish, Iberville Parish is seeing new housing and other projects aimed at improving the quality of life for residents and visitors.

Plaquemine's Waterfront Park features an extensive boardwalk system to provide for fishing and picnics. The second phase of the park includes a gateway entrance, an overlook/pavilion facility, grading and drainage improvements, parking and handicap-accessible sidewalks. The park also will have bulkhead access to the edge of the bayou for fishing, landscaping improvements and decorative fencing.

In the eastern part of the parish, the city of St. Gabriel opened its new civic center in January 2005, and five months later Iberville Parish dedicated the Mike Zito Multi-Purpose Center, an arena for horse shows, rodeos and agricultural events down Belleview Road from Plaquemine.

Shintech Inc. has announced plans to build a $1 billion industrial plant between Plaquemine and White Caste, and Hank Grace, the director of the parish's Chamber of Commerce, said that Dow Chemical donated a 100-acre tract for a new industrial park.

There are also plans for a welcome center on Interstate 10 near Grosse Tete and an educational task force.

Nottoway Plantation, located on La. 1 in White Castle, is the parish's most famous attraction. Completed in 1859, the classic Greek revival home has a 65-foot grand ballroom and is said to be the largest remaining plantation home in the South. Tours are provided daily, except on Christmas.

A tourism survey produced the surprising result that many out-of-state visitors want to ride the ferry that runs between Plaquemine and the eastern portion of Iberville Parish.

The parish also offers the opportunity to discover a vast array of plant and animal life in the Atchafalaya River Basin. About 200 species of birds, 100 species of fish and six species of reptiles and amphibians make their home here.

The basin, located between Plaquemine and St. Martinville, stretches nearly 100 miles from the north to the south.

Fishing, hunting and bird-watching opportunities abound in the basin, also referred to as 'The Spillway.'