NEW ORLEANS – On Feb. 10, Service Corporation International announced that it is investing approximately $10 million for renovations and improvements to five of its local properties. The Houston-based provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services is owner and operator of seven Dignity Memorial funeral homes in New Orleans and the surrounding region.
“This means new and improved facilities to provide our families with the best possible accommodations to honor their loved ones with dignity,” said Huey Campbell, Dignity Memorial New Orleans market director. “We are also committed to supporting local nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life for people in our community.”
The company is spending $1 million on facility improvements and renovations at the Westside Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home in Marrero. Ongoing for several years, the work is scheduled to wrap up in 2023. Projects include expanded reception spaces and kitchen, exterior building enhancements and a renovated chapel, lobby, meeting spaces and restrooms.
Following a fire that caused irreparable damage to its previous facility in Norco, H.C. Alexander Funeral Home recently purchased and will begin renovating a new location in Norco’s town square. Key features include a spacious parlor and chapel, a kitchen that will accommodate catering for receptions for guests, and a multi-purpose space. The renovation, which is expected to be a year-long project, represents a $1.6 million investment from SCI.
SCI is spending $5.7 million on an expansion of Mount Olivet Cemetery in Gentilly. The project includes plans for a new mausoleum and a new sales office.
St. Bernard Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home, meanwhile, is embarking on a $1.1 million expansion centered around the construction of a 384-casket mausoleum that will feature new glass-front niches for cremation memorialization.
Lastly, Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home & Cemeteries is investing $850,000 in upgrades to its facility and equipment which serves all seven New Orleans Dignity Memorial properties. The facility is located on the property of Metairie Cemetery. In 2020, the funeral home built a reception hall designed to host family gatherings and community events. That same year, Heaven’s Pets at Lake Lawn Metairie completed a $650,000 project that included equipment upgrades and a complete renovation of its offices and family rooms.
“The end goal for these improvements is to better serve the families in our communities,” said Campbell. “Every family wants to thoughtfully memorialize their loved ones. These capital improvements allow Dignity Memorial funeral professionals to offer more options and work closely with each family to accommodate their specific wishes and preferences.”
In 2019, SCI opened Grace Funeral Home and St. Lazarus of Bethany Memorial Garden in Covington. The property spans more than 50 acres of land leased from the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Later that year, SCI announced the addition of 115 new jobs based at its secondary corporate headquarters in Elmwood. Today, the Elmwood corporate office employs more than 200 people and is continuing to add new positions.
Dignity Memorial is a network of more than 2,000 funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers in North America.
