[font=Verdana]After years of discussion, demolition of the Jefferson Parish Courthouse could begin as soon as this year, officials said. [/font]

[font=Verdana]The time frame hinges on an engineering study and the end of the Jefferson Parish Courthouse Annex renovation, which is expected to be finished in early fall, parish officials said. [/font]

[font=Verdana]While the timing is not set in stone, one thing seems certain for the 48-year-old courthouse: Implosion will not be possible because of asbestos inside and its proximity to other buildings in the parish governmental complex in [/font][font=Verdana]Gretna[/font][font=Verdana]. [/font]

[font=Verdana]About $1.2 million has been earmarked in the 2006 capital budget for demolition. [/font]

[font=Verdana]"My understanding is that it's going to have to be taken down piece by piece and floor by floor," said Parish Councilman Chris Roberts, whose district includes the complex. [/font]

[font=Verdana]The parish has hired Perrin & Carter to do preliminary engineering work, such as a federally required environmental assessment for materials such as asbestos, Roberts said. [/font]

[font=Verdana]In addition, mold found in the annex after work began required the contractor to waterproof the building. [/font]

[font=Verdana]Opened in 1958 as the "new courthouse," the nine-story building with the green glass veneer at 200 Derbigny St. was built for $3 million. [/font]

[font=Verdana]It was touted as the first all-glass building in the South and the tallest public building west of the Mississippi south of St. Louis, said Mary Curry of the Jefferson Parish Historical Commission. [/font]

[font=Verdana]"It got a lot of positive publicity back then," she said. [/font]

[font=Verdana]Today, the building is not energy efficient and is costly to operate and maintain. It also lacks a sprinkler system, said Felicia Cooper, administrator for the state fire marshal. All buildings taller than 75 feet are required to have such a system. [/font]

[font=Verdana]But parish officials, facing what was once estimated to cost $8 million to install the system, in effect made the building shorter: They closed the eighth and ninth floors, Cooper said. [/font]