Lower Jefferson Parish has a nice spot that began in 2000 called Parc des Familles. This park on the West Bank, fourteen miles from the center of New Orleans, is now adding some really cool features and amenities. 
Parc des Familles got its name from a contest one by a fifth-grade student from Marrero. The park began with the Jefferson Parish government purchasing the property for $1.2 million. The park is operated and currently being developed with additions by a fee from water bills. The $1.25 monthly fee is paid by residents in unincorporated West Jefferson and Jean Lafitte.
Currently, the park features a playground, gymnasium, a Sheriff’s Office substation, a 2,000-foot boardwalk, an 18-hole disc golf course, a splash pad, a kayak launch, a fishing pier, a 5 1/4 mountain bike trail, and a 3 1/4 running trail. The 610-acre park is going to get additional features which will be a bonus. The park is almost two times the size of Audubon Park and four times the size of Lafreniere Park.
The new projects will include a $2.5 million information center and four athletic fields. The information center is already under construction which started in June. The board also has a pending master plan update that will include a grand entrance, a lagoon system and an amphitheater.
“We are in our infancy,” said Leo Webb, Jefferson Parish’s assistant recreation director. “It’s only going to get better.”
The information center will be an Acadian-style cottage with a detached garage. The main building will house the park office along with a space to rent for receptions or birthday parties. The garage will be used for park equipment.
“We need to be offering services that will keep our best and brightest in our community,” the park’s Advisory Board chairperson, James Hines, said. “The park has the potential be a crown jewel for the parish.”
