MMI provided the structural engineering design to both raise the structure and engineer the new wing.  The home located at 6319 Willow Street was originally built in 1941.  The floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina, in August 2005, severely damaged the building.  The first step in the reconstruction was to raise the existing structure to meet the new FEMA guidelines for mitigation and bring the home back to its pre-Katrina condition.

 

After the FEMA phase of mitigation was completed, the second step of reconstruction, consisting of renovating and modernizing the building for expanded university use, began.  A new memorabilia room and office wing was designed to add 2,000 square feet to the structure.  Foundations and/or framing for stairs, ramp, and porches were added. The FEMA mitigation was completed in 2010.  The renovation and additions were completed in 2011.