More than six months after Hurricane Gustav, the International Cultural Center is finally on track to begin repairs in May.Though repairs have not been made six months after the storm, Maureen Hewitt, manager of the International Cultural Center, doesn’t fault the University for the time it has taken to plan the projects.”I certainly do not envy the task of trying to bring all the information together from FEMA, the state level, the environmental and occupational rules and regulations involved and making sure everything gets done right,” Hewitt said. “It is a huge task, and there is reason for it to take so long. If they could do it faster, I am quite sure they would be doing so.”Emmett David, director of Faculty Development, said the damages to the ICC will cost an estimated $295,000 to repair and should be completed by August.Wind from Hurricane Gustav damaged the roof of the ICC, causing water to leak in to multiple parts of the building.With the roof still in disrepair, water continues to cause mold and damage to the structure and contents of the building. Wind from the storm also blew out the some of the stained glass windows high in the center’s main hall.Leaking water in the ICC’s apartment area caused the most damage, Hewitt said. The area is still closed by order of the fire marshall.The apartment area is a very important part of the ICC’s service to international students. It allows the ICC to offer boarding when international students are trying to find a permanent place to stay, Hewitt said.”We are hoping we can get [the living area] back open by August to accommodate new international students for the fall semester,” Hewitt said.The University has an estimated $12 million in total repairs set to begin this summer. This includes repairs to the LSU Natatorium, Field House, University Press, Life Science Building, Lakeshore House and Rural Life Museum.These projects are each estimated to cost less than $500,000. Architects are about midway through their 90- to 120-day period creating documentation and bid packages for each project. Once they complete these bid proposals, the projects will move to the bidding stage, David said.The University must also repair the Chemical Engineering Building, New Music Building, University Student Recreation Complex and Kirby Smith Roof. These projects are estimated to cost more than $500,000 each in repairs so there is an additional screening approval step which likely adds another 90 days to the entire process, David said.The process for getting the money for all these repairs is very complicated, said Donna Torres, associate vice chancellor for Accounting an0d Financial Services. Ultimately the costs will be paid from state and FEMA funds.—-Contact Xerxes Wilson at [email protected]