DONALDSONVILLE — Ascension Parish on Monday unveiled a plan to clear residents from 17,000 acres on the west side that have been designated for major industrial development.

Parish leaders are looking for a firm that will, through a "transparent, community-centered process," identify who needs to move and determine how much they should receive for their inconvenience.

This process, as outlined by the parish, includes three public informational meetings and door-to-door surveys. Residents could be asked how long they have lived in the area, if their family lived there before them, whether they own property or rent, if they have a title for the land and whether or not they actually want to relocate. 

The parish has previously announced the development of a Hyundai steel mill, an ammonia plant and more industrial developments for an area north of Donaldsonville on the west bank of the Mississippi River known as the RiverPlex MegaPark. 

The new industrial complex is expected to create thousands of jobs in the capital region. 

According to the parish, more than half of the area will be designated for "heavy industrial" use with smaller amounts for medium- and light industrial. Another 644 acres will be designated for "mixed use."

The parish did not say how many people live in the affected area. It said it is looking for "strategies" that would cause people to move but remain in the parish.