JELA_INDUSTRY_DAY_presentation_2.pdf

Rehabilitate Chalmette National Cemetery Industry Day Virtual Meeting August 27, 2025

Site Visit September 3, 2025

Project Location

• 17.5-acre project area is the Chalmette National Cemetery, located within Chalmette Unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Louisiana.

• 250 feet by 2200 feet

• Active Port on the

Mississippi River

• Industrial Property to the

East

• Highwater table –

Hydrologically connected to the Mississippi River

• Potential access from the port along the levee access road

• Chalmette National Cemetery established in 1864 to inter Union soldiers killed in Louisiana; expanded over time.

• River Road access lost in 1908; levee setback (1928–1931) relocated entrance.

• Transferred from War Department to National Park Service in 1933.

• Final resting place for over 15,000 veterans from the War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I & II, and the Vietnam War.

History of the Cemetery

• Chalmette National Cemetery, impacted by Hurricanes Zeta (2020) and Ida (2021), was included in the DS-22 recovery effort.

• Project goals include addressing stormwater ponding and ground subsidence around grave markers.

• Comprehensive landscape restoration will preserve historic features and improve storm resiliency.

• Currently in design, construction solicitation projected Spring/Summer 2026.

Project Background

• Stormwater Drainage Improvements

• North Entrance Improvements

• Historic Circular Nodes

• Critical Wall Repairs

• Grave Marker Cleaning & Resetting

• Restore Historic Plantings

Project Scope

Existing Conditions

Existing Conditions

Existing Conditions - Drainage

Existing Conditions - Drainage

Drainage Improvements

• Raise, Realign and Cleaning = ~(11,000)

• Full Gravestone Replacement = ~(5,000)

• Headstone Setting Pilot Project = ~(200)

Grave Marker Repair & Resetting

Grave Marker Repair & Resetting

North Entrance Improvements

• Rehabilitate historic iron gate, make operable

• Restore North Steel Ornamental Fence

• Restore and Repair Historic Brick Curb

• Restore Historic Plantings

• Improve Visitor Experience

Screen maintenance shed

Reestablish tree allees and plantings

Accessible path to cannons and flagpole, cannon conservation

Restore plantings and urns at

Superintendent’s lodge

Critical Wall Repair * Headstone and Grading of Trenches Common to All Areas

Node 1 Replace section of road add storm pipe

Rehab gate and fence, cannon conservation

Schematic Design

Historic Nodes

• Cast Iron Bollards

• Bench Seating and Interpretive Signage

• Custom Exposed Aggregate Cast In Place Concrete with Clean Joint Lines

• Meeting existing concrete

• Challenge of maintaining drainage pattern

NODE 4

NODE 1-3 - SECTION

NODES 1-3

Reestablish Tree Allees and Plantings

Critical Wall Repair * Headstone and Grading of Trenches Common to All Areas

Node 3Node 4 Battlefield Connection

Accessible Path Node 2

Reestablish tree allees and plantings

Critical Wall Repair * Headstone and Grading of Trenches Common to All Areas

Monument Conservation

• Wall Assemblies

• Pier Caps

• Panel Caps

• Expansion Joints

• Repointing

• Wall Repair Mockup

• Well Structure

Critical Wall Repairs

Critical Wall Repairs

Construction Access and Laydown/Staging Area

Questions to Contractors – Response Due Sept 9, 2025 All responses will be kept confidential

Construction Phasing and Scheduling

1. What mitigative measures might you suggest to limit visitor impacts during construction?

2. How do you envision phasing this project and the sequence of construction while keeping it generally open to the public?

3. How long do you think the full project will take?

4. Do you feel the proposed laydown/staging will be sufficient. Do you anticipate more than one?

5. What elements of the project do you foresee will experience long leads and/or significant price volatility based on similar projects that could impact schedule?

6. What do you see as the highest risk items?

7. Anything we can do to make this easier – reduce risk?

Headstone Re-alignment and Grading

8. For the resetting of the grave markers, are there any novel methods you have used to limit subsidence?

9. Soil subsidence has been an ongoing challenge in relation to headstone alignment and trenching, are there any solutions not presented that should be considered?

Storm Drainage

11. For the proposed stormwater drainage pipe under Military Cemetery Rd, what do you expect for a trench width?

12. What shoring practices do you foresee for the storm drainage trenching?

13. Related to the trenching and storm drainage installation, do you foresee any clearance issues related to fixed elements such as the historic brick curb, existing historic trees, etc?

14. Do you foresee any issues or challenges in installing the backflow prevention into CB3 and 4 with limited clearance and an existing pipe?

Wall Stabilization

14. There will be limited underpinning of the historic walls, do you see challenges, issues and or solutions working in deltaic soils or in proximity to adjacent resources?

15. Are there any cost efficiencies related to the wall underpinning?

General

16. Are there other construction solutions that should be considered that have not been presented? If so, what are the potential benefits, i.e. cost savings, schedule savings, safety concerns, etc.

17. Do you have experience working within historic cemeteries?

18. What would make you hesitant or not to propose/bid on this project?

19. Anything else that we need to know and or/didn’t ask?

On Site Industry Day Date: Wednesday September 3, 2025 at Cemetery Lodge (park along road or outside gate)

Session 1: 8am – 9:30pm Session 2: 9:30 – 11:00am Session 3: 11:00-12:30pm (if needed)

* Please email carlos_Garcia@nps.gov and john_babcock@nps.gov to confirm which session you plan to attend.

** If you cannot attend in-person please respond in writing to the RFI and we will schedule a 1-hour meeting with you to discuss the responses.

Thank you!

mailto:carlos_Garcia@nps.gov mailto:john_babcock@nps.gov