[sguil1]

Wish it was the Texaco building but it is 17 or 18 stories.

[sguil1]

Drove downtown tonight and saw that the lighting at the top of "Benson Tower" (former dominion) are now on. Nice to see this building back in commision.

[inCrescentCity]

Drove downtown tonight and saw that the lighting at the top of "Benson Tower" (former dominion) are now on. Nice to see this building back in commision.The lights are on atop 930 Poydras too :cool:

[sguil1]

The lights are on atop 930 Poydras too :cool:

Saw that. That building actually looks pretty cool at night with all the interior lights on.

[sguil1]

LCRC progress...

Now completing the 4th story.
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/2782/29821281.png

http://lcrcupdate.blogspot.com/

Few months ago.
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/1892/julyaerial3.png

[SlidellWx]

The LCRC is going up fast!

Glad to hear that Benson(formerly Dominion) Tower is lit up again.

On a much smaller scale...a good friend of mine moved back into her house in Gentilly over the weekend after 4 long years of rebuilding and living in an apartment. I'm so happy for her!

[tennis1400]

I bet that bidclerk is for one of those buildings on st charles avenue that is getting converted to senior living. They are about 12 floors.

[SlidellWx]

Saw in the paper that the conversions of the Maritime and Saratoga buildings to a mix of office, residential, and retail is finally moving forward. Looks like it took longer to get financing completed than originally expected. The Maritime Building is the oldest skyscraper in the city, so I'm glad to see it getting preserved.

[sguil1]

Saw in the paper that the conversions of the Maritime and Saratoga buildings to a mix of office, residential, and retail is finally moving forward. Looks like it took longer to get financing completed than originally expected. The Maritime Building is the oldest skyscraper in the city, so I'm glad to see it getting preserved.

Here is the article on nola. Great news for that area of downtown.

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2009/12/maritime_building_being_conver.html

http://media.nola.com/business_impact/photo/maritime-buildingjpg-b1a71b68968ec591_medium.jpg

http://media.nola.com/business_impact/images/MARITIME122309.jpg

[sgray]

January 18, 2010
Developers eye CBD, Warehouse District
By Richard A. Webster Staff Writer


Lifestyle Revolution Group CEO Robert LeBlanc was one of the first people to invest in the Warehouse District after Hurricane Katrina. He took over the old location of Howlin’ Wolf on South Peters Street in October 2005 and opened Republic two months later. (Photo by Frank Aymami)
NEW ORLEANS — In the early 1990s when developer Brian Gibbs was a student at Tulane University, he and his friends never considered the dead zone between Uptown and the French Quarter as a party destination, much less a place to live.

The swath of vacant and abandoned buildings bordered by a sea of offices was something to drive through, a lifeless section of town that had little to offer.


But times have changed in the Warehouse and Central Business districts, said Gibbs, who is set to open a 21-story, 250-unit apartment building this year at 930 Poydras St.


“When we first started developing apartments in the Warehouse District in 1998, we didn’t have any student residents. Now between 20 (percent) to 30 percent of our residents are graduate students,” Gibbs said.


Large projects such as the National World War II Museum have been game changers for the district. But without the smaller, lifestyle-oriented businesses, the dozens of restaurants and bars that have proliferated throughout the area in the four years since Hurricane Katrina, there would be little reason for people to live and invest in downtown, Gibbs said.


“We need to show business owners that it’s a fun place to be and there’s plenty to do. It’s a quality of life thing for employees in addition to potential residents. The nightlife component is something we’re definitely trying to incorporate into our buildings.”


Capdeville, the newest addition to the scene, opened New Year’s Eve on the ground floor of Gibbs’ Intellectual Property building. Billed as a twist on a British social house with gourmet bar food, Capdeville is the latest venture of Lifestyle Revolution Group CEO Robert LeBlanc.


LeBlanc was one of the first people to invest in the Warehouse District after the storm. He took over the old location of Howlin’ Wolf on South Peters Street in October 2005 and opened Republic two months later. In the four years since, he opened another CBD nightlife venue, Le Phare, partnered in Loa in the International House Hotel and has several other projects in the works.


The goal of LRG has always been to create a social atmosphere that would attract young professionals to New Orleans, and there was no better fit for that model than the IP building, a breeding ground for young entrepreneurs, LeBlanc said.


“What we do is not inherently innovative, selling beer for a living. But you can use that application to do a lot of incredible things by creating a sense of community and providing a meaningful gathering place where people can have intelligent conversations and enjoy themselves,” LeBlanc said.


Slow coming
The biggest challenge for the Warehouse District and CBD is attracting businesses that will create that sense of community, the missing ingredient potential residents are looking for, said Michael Hecht, CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc. and one of the conceptual founders of the IP building.


“Every time we get a new business or social venue like Capdeville it adds to the critical mass and brings us closer to that tipping point,” said Hecht, who calls the area comprised of the Warehouse, Central Business and Lower Garden districts the New Carré.


“If we continue to accumulate new businesses I think over the next year we’ll hit that tipping point and the New Carré will really begin to explode as a location for creative professionals to live and work.”


The development of the CBD and Warehouse District has been slow. It got its start in 1984 when HRI Properties refurbished the Federal Fibre Mills building into apartment units after the World’s Fair.


“One of the few things we’ve been ahead of the national curve on is the residential conversion of our urban areas,” Gibbs said. “But it takes time for people to notice and other entrepreneurs to come in and put their roots down.”


Twenty years ago when the clock struck 6 p.m. in the CBD and Warehouse District, office buildings cleared out, the sidewalks rolled up and workers went home to outlying areas of New Orleans or the North Shore, said Shaun Talbot, vice president of Talbot Realty Group. If they wanted to go out for dinner or drinks, they went to the French Quarter or Uptown. The Warehouse District wasn’t even on the radar.


But that slowly started to change with the opening of Emeril’s in 1990.


“People thought he was out of his mind to open in that location because there was absolutely nothing there. Now that location is the epicenter of the district,” Talbot said. “It’s things like that that get people excited, a success story that brings in other businesses, visitors and residents who want to be a part of that lifestyle.”


In November, 25 years after its first project in the Warehouse District, HRI completed work on Nine27 Apartments, a five-story, 76-unit development in the same area. And for those looking for restaurants besides the pioneering Emeril’s, they can choose from relative newcomers such as Cochon, La Boca, Grand Isle and Lüke.


But there is still room to grow.


Looking ahead
There are an estimated 3,500 people living in the CBD and Warehouse District, roughly the same number in the area 10 years ago, Talbot said. A pre-Katrina report found that the downtown area, excluding the French Quarter, could hold as many as 10,000 residents.


“Look at all the properties that can be developed and the vacant parking lots. There is tremendous room for development that can go on for years,” Talbot said.


“Out-of-town developers come into an area and scratch their heads saying, ‘Why isn’t this done yet?’ They’re amazed by it. We’ve plodded along like a turtle. Good things have happened, but it has been a slow process.”


That’s why the commitment of people like LeBlanc is so important to the growth of the Warehouse District and CBD, Gibbs said. It brings life to the sidewalks during the day and provides a place for residents and visitors to gather after dark.


“Those little steps that Robert is taking, those are little things that have to happen to make the area desirable,” Gibbs said. “And if the area is desirable the apartments fill up, office buildings fill up and then it will become a positive snowball effect and the retailers will realize they can make money opening their business there.”


But there’s still a long way to go before the Warehouse District and CBD teem with people. And until then, New Orleanians have the place largely to themselves, LeBlanc said.


“I think it’s still underexposed so it still feels like a local’s place. It still feels like it’s yours and not like it’s infiltrated by tourists. You still know 75 percent of the people at all the places you go, so it still has the neighborhood feel.”
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Copyright © 2010, New Orleans Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.

[ardecila]

Interesting. I hadn't heard about Le Phare or Capdeville. These new clubs will definitely add to the appeal of the neighborhood, in addition to the restaurants. Capdeville reminds me of Publican in Chicago... which is pretty cool, I hope it's successful.

The problem, though, is that most people don't eat at expensive restaurants or go to clubs every night. There are no grocery stores in the neighborhood, nor dry cleaners, convenience stores, or even liquor stores (except the trashy ones on Canal). The inexpensive restaurants are all lunch joints that close at 4 or 5. The Warehouse District really needs to add these things to become a desirable urban neighborhood.

As a start, how about extending the hours of the PJ's in the WWII Museum and/or at Camp/Girod? If there are so many graduate students in the area, a late-night coffee shop would be popular - nobody's gonna do their studying in a bar (even in New Orleans... heh) and so far, the only stuff open at night in that area is bars.

[Uptowngirl]

I've been to LePhare. It has a VERY elite young urban professional vibe, and is a sleek contemporary spot in a very old part of the CBD.

Unfortunately, I never feel that comfortable in there even though I find the space impressive. I never feel "cool" enough there. :(

[sguil1]

New Orleans Bioinnovation Center worksite.

http://neworleansbio.com/index2.html

[SlidellWx]

Good to see work being done at the Bioinnovation site. Enjoyed the article on the Warehouse District as well. There are alot of mid-sized cities that would kill for a neighborhood like that.

[tennis1400]

Theres a new cigar bar opening underneath my condo called Bouche. Im in a building right next to Emerils. Ive heard rumors of a Trader Joes coming too. Your definitely right that a pharmacy and grocery are needed.

[ardecila]

There was an article awhile back about Trader Joe's coming... TJ's steadfastly denied that they were planning a store here. There have been several rumors floated around in Chicago about new locations there, but they always turn out to be false alarms.

They do take suggestions for new locations (http://www.traderjoes.com/static/location_requests_form.aspx), though, so if they see enough requests from NOLA, they might seriously consider it.

New Orleans is problematic, because it's really too far from Aldi's major distribution centers near Dallas, Orlando, and Charlotte (Aldi/Trader Joes are the same company). Since Trader Joe's sells perishables, their locations can't be too far from the distribution centers, and it wouldn't be profitable to build a whole new distribution center when the total number of people in Louisiana cities who will shop at TJ's is low. We are far more likely to get Aldi in New Orleans than a Trader Joe's.

I guess I'll just have to keep getting stuff shipped from them...

[sguil1]

Looks like the Royal Cosmo is seeking re-approval for height restrictions since the last approval has expired. This project looks to be the next high-rise project to go forward.

http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2010/01/19/royal-cosmopolitan-developers-to-seek-council-approval-again/

[ardecila]

Developers withdraw plans to build 26-story hotel tower on Royal Street (http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/developers_withdraw_plans_to_b.html)
By Bruce Eggler, The Times-Picayune
January 21, 2010, 6:16PM

Facing likely defeat of their plans, developers Thursday dropped their request for New Orleans City Council approval of a 26-story hotel tower in the 100 block of Royal Street.

However, the developers are expected to repropose the same project soon, probably timing their request so that it would come back to the council after at least three new members take office in May.

Hopefully the new council will approve it. That block of Royal is sketchy even by Quarter standards... it could really use a new, clean street presence.

[inCrescentCity]

Random updates:


There are lights on at the Crescent City Towers (formerly Plaza Tower). Lights look like they are on at the very top floop, one of the middle floors, and one of the bottom floors. Hopefully the mold remediation is coming to a close.

Lights on inside 930 Poydras as well.

Cancer Research Center is going up pretty quick and I think is pretty close to being topped out.

[ThreeHundred]

http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/new_orleans_saints-logo-in-gold-background2.jpg

[Nolacat157]

A federal arbitration panel awarded Louisiana $475 million Wednesday for hurricane-related damage to Charity Hospital, ending a long-standing dispute with federal authorities and providing a major boost to the state's efforts to build a new teaching hospital in lower Mid-City.

The six-page ruling by the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals hands the state a landmark victory over the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which had valued the hurricane damage at $124 million and offered to settle the case for $150 million.

http://www.nola.com/hurricane/index.ssf/2010/01/mid-city_teaching_hospital_pla.html

[SlidellWx]

Now that the state has the money, there is no way Charity becomes a hospital again. I'm ambivalent either way, but just glad to see the fighting between the state and FEMA finally come to an end. It will be interesting to see what becomes of Big Charity. It's a huge building in a great location.

[ardecila]

^^ Except that the state's plan still costs $1.2 billion, and the state only has $300 million to chip in. That leaves a $400 million shortfall - where's that money gonna come from? Re-using Charity could be done without finding any more money.

Regardless, this is a huge positive because the city gets more federal money out of it. The state has shown every indication that they are willing to let the city rot before sending more state tax dollars our way. If the state had lost the arbitration, they probably would have just dropped the plans altogether and we'd have NO hospital at all.

Has anybody been following the mayoral election? Right now, I'm leaning towards voting for Perry, but I'm warming to Mitch too.

[sgray]

Domain Cos. completes leasing of Tulane Avenue apartments

by CityBusiness staff reports

Published: January 28th, 2010

The Domain Cos. announced today that it has fully leased the three mixed-income apartment developments it built along the Tulane Avenue corridor after Hurricane Katrina.

The Preserve, The Crescent Club and The Meridian, which represent more than $120 million in investments and include 483 apartments, are now home to more than 1,000 residents.

Domain principal Matt Schwartz said the developments’ rents and rates of occupancy exceeded the expectations of experts, achieving the fastest occupancy and highest rents of any Gulf Opportunity Zone Act-funded housing development.•

:cool:

[ardecila]

Whaaaat? That's the last thing I expected to hear! I mean, I was happy about all the new construction, but I kept hearing about how even the "affordable" housing is out of the price range of many New Orleanians, and all the new developments were unlikely to do very well. On the other hand, Domain built attractive buildings and had top-notch marketing, so that was probably a factor.

All I can say is, geaux Domain Cos! Please build more!

[sguil1]

A federal arbitration panel awarded Louisiana $475 million Wednesday for hurricane-related damage to Charity Hospital, ending a long-standing dispute with federal authorities and providing a major boost to the state's efforts to build a new teaching hospital in lower Mid-City.

The six-page ruling by the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals hands the state a landmark victory over the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which had valued the hurricane damage at $124 million and offered to settle the case for $150 million.

http://www.nola.com/hurricane/index.ssf/2010/01/mid-city_teaching_hospital_pla.html

Regardless of what happens or what side your on, this is the biggest economic news post-K since the re-opening of the dome.

[sguil1]

Passed by this site recently. Exterior building fully complete.

http://secondlinestages.com/sites/default/files/model2_0.jpg?1257790123

[Uptowner]

Passed by this site recently. Exterior building fully complete.

http://secondlinestages.com/sites/default/files/model2_0.jpg?1257790123

The lights are now on at night and it looks 10x better in person.

^^ Except that the state's plan still costs $1.2 billion, and the state only has $300 million to chip in. That leaves a $400 million shortfall - where's that money gonna come from? Re-using Charity could be done without finding any more money.

Regardless, this is a huge positive because the city gets more federal money out of it. The state has shown every indication that they are willing to let the city rot before sending more state tax dollars our way. If the state had lost the arbitration, they probably would have just dropped the plans altogether and we'd have NO hospital at all.

Couldn't have said it better.

[sguil1]

Saw a crane constructed just off I-10 at causeway on the south side behind the Galleria. Site is blocked off with The Lemoine Company signage. Can't find any info on the project, anyone have any idea?

[sguil1]

Interesting WTC article...

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2010/02/city_of_new_orleans_considers.html

[SlidellWx]

That is an interesting article. I agree that the land under the tower is probably worth more than the building itself. It's a great location that could be used for any number of purposes. However...the WTC is kind of iconic on the NOLA skyline. It would strange not seeing it there. Unfortunately, the building isn't very useful for office purposes anymore. Condo's or a hotel are the best option...and that's pretty tough to do in this current economic climate. Maybe if the city just gave a developer the building it would work.

[Uptowngirl]

I am a member of the PRC but as long as that land isn't turned into a park...demolish it. That is one ugly building (I was there this summer, at the WTC offices...its very Mad Men...but the building LOOKS not kept up at all)

However the PRC people are getting their engines going...

[ardecila]

How'd you get into the WTC? I'm a fan of Edward Durell Stone, and I really want to see it before it's kaput. His stuff keeps getting trashed, from 2 Columbus Circle to the Aon Building to Prince Georges Plaza.

I personally don't see why the WTC is any more deserving of a teardown than any of the other sparsely-occupied or abandoned towers downtown... it's very unique, unlike all of the bland sterile boxes along Poydras or Loyola. The WTC is right on the river, so the views alone would allow for a redevelopment of the building. There may be no demand for hotel, office, or residential here right now, but this is a prime, prime spot. Something is guaranteed to come along once the economy recovers - if it's not torn down by then. Same for the Canal Place expansion site.

As an aside, can we PLEASE get Entergy to move or at least enclose that god-damn substation? Talk about inappropriate for the site of the city's founding.

[Uptowngirl]

I interviewed for a temp job at the WTC that's how. :)

And you are right about that, there are tons of buildings near O'Kefee and Rampart near Tulane Hospital that should be torn down.

[tennis1400]

Id argue that the entergy substation is one of the main hurdles for developing the WTC. Its simply too isolated from pedestrians how it was built. In fact that whole area including the Hilton and Riverwalk needs a major renovation. The build of the place is very dated, like it rejects the rest of the city. that might have been how things were built in the 70s-80s but not now. Indoor malls selling overpriced tourist are dead!

[sguil1]

Magazine Open at WWII Museum
Feb. 4, 2010 • 10:11 amThe two blocks of Magazine Street adjacent to the National World War II Museum have been reopened. The streetscape features new bricked sidewalks, numerous ornamental trees and resurfacing on Magazine St.

The National World War II Museum is one of the MSMA's newest members. It is one of the prime attractions in the Arts District of New Orleans.

http://www.magazinestreet.com/?news

Passed by the upgraded blocks of magazine next to the museum. Looks very nice with repaved street as well as brickwork on the sidewalks and the street. There is a large brick fleur de lis in the intersection adjacent to the museum. Also all new lighting and trees were planted.

[Uptowngirl]

I saw that a few days ago...

I thought wow...this doesnt look like New Orleans at ALL. Its so clean and perfect...

[sguil1]

Company offers $10B to buy Riverwalk, Oakwood owner

BALTIMORE -- The nation's largest mall owner wants to buy the company that owns Riverwalk Marketplace in New Orleans and Oakwood Center in Jefferson Parish. Simon Property Group LP announced Tuesday a $10 billion, all-cash offer to buy bankrupt realty trust General Growth Properties Inc. In a Tuesday letter to GGP's board of directors

...Wow, that sounds like a huge offer. Would be great if the riverwalk could be revamped.

http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2010/02/17/company-offers-10b-to-buy-riverwalk-oakwood-owner/

[sgray]

I saw on WWL TV that construction should be completed by May 2012 on this project and that the RTA is confident in getting funding for the French Quarter and Convention Center Boulevard lines. Good news. Wonder what variety of street car they'll utilize.



New Orleans awarded $45 million federal stimulus grant for new streetcar service
By Bruce Alpert, Times-Picayune
February 17, 2010, 11:10AM

Rusty Costanza/The Times-PicayuneFederal grant awarded to create new streetcar service from Canal Street to Union Passenger Terminal along Loyola Ave.The city of New Orleans won a $45 million federal stimulus grant today to extend streetcar service from the Union Passenger Terminal to Canal Street, using Loyola Avenue.

It was among 51 projects awarded grants under what the Department of Transportation called its TIGER grant competition. The grants, totaling about $1.5 billion nationwide, went to fund transportation projects with a preference for "creative projects" that could increase business development while increasing public transit options.

The project will cover the costs of a roughly 1.5-mile streetcar from the Union Passenger Terminal to Canal Street.

In announcing the selection of the project, DOT said the Loyola Avenue corridor is home to significant commercial and business activity, including the city's energy, government t healthcare and financial sectors. It said that the new streetcar line should help attract development and redevelopment of under-utilized properties along the Loyola Avenue corridor.

Under the $45 million grant, the New Orleans Regional Transportation Authority has until Oct. 2010 to let construction contracts for the project.

[sguil1]

great news, sounds like it was stiff competition.

http://media.nola.com/news_impact/images/Loyola-streetcar-route0218.jpg

[inCrescentCity]

great news, sounds like it was stiff competition.

http://media.nola.com/news_impact/images/Loyola-streetcar-route0218.jpg

Anyone else think that this street car line is a waste? I mean, only three blocks east and you can catch the St. Charles line which runs basically the same exact route. I'm sure the cars will be running more frequently on Loyala but it still seems like a waste.

I think we'd be better served running the line from Canal down Rampart to Esplanade. That would at least allow people to get from one side of the Quarter to the other quicker and get more people down to Frenchmen, etc. Not sure if a line would fit on Rampart though.

[SlidellWx]

There are plans to do a line down Rampart St. to Press St. with an extension down Elysian Fields to tie into the existing Riverfront line. The cost is around $115,000,000 dollars. It looks like the RTA has about half of the money on hand through bonds and reserve fund. I'm glad to see the streetcars expanding further. It looks like the old system is slowly being restored piece by piece.

Here is the excerpt from the article in the Times-Picayune.

While the 1.5-mile streetcar line along Loyola Avenue will be fully financed by the federal government, the RTA is looking to make a substantial local investment for a second phase.

Dubbed the "French Quarter loop,'' the proposed $115 million extension would travel about four miles along North Rampart Street from Canal Street to Press Street and features a 1.2-mile spur on Elysian Fields Avenue that would connect with the Riverfront streetcar line at Esplanade Avenue.

Thanks to an improved bond rating, transit officials say they are now in a position to borrow about $52 million for the project and kick in another $13 million from a reserve account. RTA General Manager Justin Augustine said he hopes to secure the $50 million balance from the federal government.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/streetcar_grant_to_pay_full_co.html

[ardecila]

The feds decided to fund the Loyola line only. NORTA requested $95 million to build all three of the planned lines, but didn't get all of it. Since this grant is covering the full construction cost of the Loyola line, NORTA doesn't have to chip in anything, and so it doesn't lower NORTA's ability to issue bonds to pay for the rest. The other $50 million can probably be taken from CDBG grants currently held by the state, or from a Small Starts grant from the Feds in 2011, or maybe from a TIFIA loan from the Feds.

The cost-effectiveness rating of all three lines combined was fairly low; the UPT line is not expected to serve many passengers. Getting it built through TIGER, which awarded money not through an open and transparent evaluation but through political haggling, boosts the ridership/mile numbers for the other planned lines.

And honestly, I'd like to see the Convention Center line re-thought, or just eliminated from consideration. It's a single-track line that doesn't really provide any new service, since it runs only a block away from the riverfront line, and is hella-expensive since they have to move the power poles on Convention Center Blvd. If it was a new double-track line that replaced the riverfront alignment with a Convention Center Blvd alignment, that would be great. But it's just stupid the way it is currently planned. I'd like to see an extension up to Felicity; that might jumpstart the redevelopment of the Power Plant area and give Warehouse District residents easy access to Wal-Mart and any other retail that might spring up down there.

Finally, I've heard that the Loyola line won't have any new procurement of streetcars; they'll just use some of the red Canal cars that are currently held in reserve. Missed opportunity! Hopefully the next phase will allow for the purchase of something less... 19th-century.

[Uptowngirl]

I hear ya there....

The Convention Blvd line is stupid and I don't see it being used all that often

The Loyola Line should connect down Howard to Lee Circle

And for heaven's sake...buy some new Euro-esque modern streetcars. I'm all about preservation...and I'm ok with new historicist structures...but enough with the old streetcars already. I can understand Canal kinda and St. Charles is protected..but any new lines need real streetcars.

[ardecila]

^^ Well, the main practical argument (besides the aesthetic one) for buying new cars is to save money over the expensive custom fabrication process that NORTA used to build the red Canal Line cars. Using real vintage cars is out of the question, since they're not ADA-compliant - which means that any potential cars will be "new", regardless of what they look like.

But if NORTA doesn't need to buy any new cars because they already have enough for a modest expansion like this, then I can't really complain too much. If/when NORTA finds money for the French Quarter Loop, that will definitely require new cars. At that point, this discussion might make more sense.

[Uptowngirl]

Yes I know the Canal cars are fake and more importantly expensive...

I do hope the FQ "Loop" will have modern cars. The juxtaposition of the old and new would give the city the look of a progressive city looking to the past and future (plus the financial benefit). However I wouldn't count on it...

[ardecila]

I wouldn't count on it...

Don't give up yet. This town isn't so big... individuals can and do influence decisions sometimes, especially if you can get the ear of the right person. That's one of my favorite things about New Orleans.

When you filter out all the people who aren't involved in the city's future and just don't care, this town becomes small indeed.

[N.O.L.A.]

I agree that some of these new routes should have been planned out better. I agree that it would be a lot better in my opinion if the Loyola line were to connect to the St. Charles by going down Howard Ave. I too do question the effectiveness and ridership that we will see with these new lines. At least we know that they will probably be popular with the tourists and visitors, and benefit in that way. I guess we will just have to wait and see. Personally, I like the older style. I think keeping the older style while so many cities have the modern ones will make our transit system more unique.

[BTinSF]

I am a fairly frequent visitor to New Orleans and I MIGHT use the new line. I always arrive and often leave New Orleans by train from the AMTRAK station and stay in the French Quarter (often not too far from the Canal & Basin intersection). The service would save me the cost of a cab if I could use it. But I probably couldn't. The existing streetcars are not easy enough to board with lots of heavy luggage.

The proposed line along Rampart would be more useful other than to get to the AMTRAK station.

PS: When I was there in January I got very frustrated because none of the riverfront streetcars made a right turn on Canal. They all stopped at the end of Canal forcing a transfer to a Canal car (often a long wait). I know they are doing construction, but I saw nothing impeding the turn. It so happened this time I was staying at the far end of the Quarter near the river and the riverfront cars were very useful but would have been even more so if they'd run up Canal also.

[BTinSF]

Yes I know the Canal cars are fake and more importantly expensive...

I do hope the FQ "Loop" will have modern cars. The juxtaposition of the old and new would give the city the look of a progressive city looking to the past and future (plus the financial benefit). However I wouldn't count on it...

There another benefit to modern cars. See what I just posted above about luggage.

[ardecila]

Could you manage the same luggage on one of SF's Muni trams?

[greenparrot]

I like the Loyola line. Notwithstanding potential transfers, there is now a real connection all the way from the end of the FQ to the sports entertainment area (arena, dome, Benson world) and the train station. The St Charles line is really useless in this regard. Who knows...maybe some day we will have some residential activity on Loyola in lieu of parking lots and a redeveloped Plaza Tower.

[sgray]

New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- In September of 2005, no one could have anticipated what we saw in New Orleans last week. What happened on the football field and parade route after the Saints' Super Bowl victory is amazing and uplifting. But what's happening elsewhere in New Orleans also rises to that standard.

Consider the following:

The day before the Super Bowl, New Orleans participated in a historic mayoral election, as Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu won a stunning 66-percent of the vote, with unprecedented support among all races.

African-American candidates also won down-ballot races with majority white support, casting a blow to the notion that New Orleans politics and culture are mired in racial tension.

Just weeks before, federal arbitrators awarded $475 million to Louisiana for the replacement of Charity Hospital in downtown New Orleans which makes way for a multibillion dollar medical corridor that is being billed as the largest development project in the city's history.

And in late 2009, a federal judge ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' mismanagement at the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet was the cause for flood damage in the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Damages paid to local governments and residents will exceed $1 billion. These judgments validate many locals' beliefs that the flooding of 80 percent of New Orleans and the billions of dollars in damage were caused more by massive engineering failures than a natural disaster.

To that point, the government is working on a $15 billion upgrade to the region's 220-plus miles of levees and flood walls that, when completed, will allow them to withstand a storm with a strength level that occurs roughly once every 100 years. Even today, experts will tell you the levees are better than they were before Hurricane Katrina.

Additionally, the population is nearing 80 percent of pre-Katrina levels, in part due to hardworking residents who came back and a new crop of younger, entrepreneurial transplants moving to the city to be part of what is going on here.

The New Orleans economy is bearing the recession better than most, evidenced in one of the lowest unemployment rates of any major metropolitan area in the country. Also, the city now has a bond rating that is investment-grade, which should free up access to tens of millions of dollars for infrastructure improvements.

One of the brightest spots in post-Katrina New Orleans has been in education. In Orleans Parish, academic performance scores in the school district have risen nearly 25 percent. The school system looks to get a ten-figure lump-sum settlement to rebuild school properties across the city. And with over half of its students in charter schools and a large and influential Teach for America corps, New Orleans has become a laboratory and model for education reform.

All of this is not to say that everything is going perfectly in New Orleans. Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu and New Orleanians still have remarkable challenges to tackle and tough decisions to make -- including reducing violent crime, eliminating blighted housing, continuing to rebuild communities and business, and restoring wetlands that provide much needed storm protection. But there is a unity of purpose (thanks in large part to the Saints) that wasn't there even six months ago.

The recovery and rebirth includes citizen-driven reform of local government -- a government once marked by corruption, nepotism, incompetence and the like. New Orleanians voted to consolidate the seven assessor's offices, the criminal and civil sheriffs, and the various levee boards. But most importantly, New Orleanians elected an outstanding man as mayor this past Saturday to lead the next phase of recovery.

The mayoral election was nothing short of staggering, and the confluence of the Saints win and the historic mayoral election, lined up for the city's best two days since the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

Landrieu was elected in the primary (there will be no runoff) with 66 percent of the vote, including 63 percent of African-Americans and 70 percent of white voters. To say this broad support is unprecedented would be a gross understatement.

Landrieu becomes the first white mayor to govern the majority-African-American city in some 30 years. (His father, Moon Landrieu, was the last white mayor.) And he does it after winning all but one precinct in the primary election. In Landrieu, businesses, congressional leaders, nonprofit organizations and average citizens will finally have a leader and partner in a united city government that promises to restore confidence and get dollars flowing to projects that need them.

Add to that the fact that New Orleans will be front and center on the world stage for much of the next decade, hosting a series of national and international sporting events, including Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, back-to-back NCAA Men's and Women's Final Fours, and the Bowl Championship Series National Championship in 2012, among many others. In 2015, the nation will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. And in 2018, New Orleans' tricentenary will focus not only on the founding of New Orleans but also its successful rebirth 300 years later.

You see, the effort to rebuild and recover has been not just an engineering feat to save a city, an entire culture has been at stake. We have our own cuisine, music, architecture, funeral traditions, literature and cultural structure. And as of late, it looks like it will be preserved.

More restaurants are in operation than before the hurricane, New Orleanians took home two Grammy awards this past year, and many important cultural sites have reopened recently or are scheduled to reopen soon.

The world should take notice. Thanks to the Saints, you're looking. But take a deeper glimpse beyond football at what's going on here. For as challenging a decade as the 2000s were for New Orleans, the 2010s may prove to be the brightest time in the city's nearly 300-year history.

The momentum is building.

[greenparrot]

New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- In September of 2005, no one could have anticipated what we saw in New Orleans last week. What happened on the football field and parade route after the Saints' Super Bowl victory is amazing and uplifting. But what's happening elsewhere in New Orleans also rises to that standard.

Consider the following:

The day before the Super Bowl, New Orleans participated in a historic mayoral election, as Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu won a stunning 66-percent of the vote, with unprecedented support among all races.

African-American candidates also won down-ballot races with majority white support, casting a blow to the notion that New Orleans politics and culture are mired in racial tension.

Just weeks before, federal arbitrators awarded $475 million to Louisiana for the replacement of Charity Hospital in downtown New Orleans which makes way for a multibillion dollar medical corridor that is being billed as the largest development project in the city's history.

And in late 2009, a federal judge ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' mismanagement at the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet was the cause for flood damage in the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Damages paid to local governments and residents will exceed $1 billion. These judgments validate many locals' beliefs that the flooding of 80 percent of New Orleans and the billions of dollars in damage were caused more by massive engineering failures than a natural disaster.

To that point, the government is working on a $15 billion upgrade to the region's 220-plus miles of levees and flood walls that, when completed, will allow them to withstand a storm with a strength level that occurs roughly once every 100 years. Even today, experts will tell you the levees are better than they were before Hurricane Katrina.

Additionally, the population is nearing 80 percent of pre-Katrina levels, in part due to hardworking residents who came back and a new crop of younger, entrepreneurial transplants moving to the city to be part of what is going on here.

The New Orleans economy is bearing the recession better than most, evidenced in one of the lowest unemployment rates of any major metropolitan area in the country. Also, the city now has a bond rating that is investment-grade, which should free up access to tens of millions of dollars for infrastructure improvements.

One of the brightest spots in post-Katrina New Orleans has been in education. In Orleans Parish, academic performance scores in the school district have risen nearly 25 percent. The school system looks to get a ten-figure lump-sum settlement to rebuild school properties across the city. And with over half of its students in charter schools and a large and influential Teach for America corps, New Orleans has become a laboratory and model for education reform.

All of this is not to say that everything is going perfectly in New Orleans. Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu and New Orleanians still have remarkable challenges to tackle and tough decisions to make -- including reducing violent crime, eliminating blighted housing, continuing to rebuild communities and business, and restoring wetlands that provide much needed storm protection. But there is a unity of purpose (thanks in large part to the Saints) that wasn't there even six months ago.

The recovery and rebirth includes citizen-driven reform of local government -- a government once marked by corruption, nepotism, incompetence and the like. New Orleanians voted to consolidate the seven assessor's offices, the criminal and civil sheriffs, and the various levee boards. But most importantly, New Orleanians elected an outstanding man as mayor this past Saturday to lead the next phase of recovery.

The mayoral election was nothing short of staggering, and the confluence of the Saints win and the historic mayoral election, lined up for the city's best two days since the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

Landrieu was elected in the primary (there will be no runoff) with 66 percent of the vote, including 63 percent of African-Americans and 70 percent of white voters. To say this broad support is unprecedented would be a gross understatement.

Landrieu becomes the first white mayor to govern the majority-African-American city in some 30 years. (His father, Moon Landrieu, was the last white mayor.) And he does it after winning all but one precinct in the primary election. In Landrieu, businesses, congressional leaders, nonprofit organizations and average citizens will finally have a leader and partner in a united city government that promises to restore confidence and get dollars flowing to projects that need them.

Add to that the fact that New Orleans will be front and center on the world stage for much of the next decade, hosting a series of national and international sporting events, including Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, back-to-back NCAA Men's and Women's Final Fours, and the Bowl Championship Series National Championship in 2012, among many others. In 2015, the nation will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. And in 2018, New Orleans' tricentenary will focus not only on the founding of New Orleans but also its successful rebirth 300 years later.

You see, the effort to rebuild and recover has been not just an engineering feat to save a city, an entire culture has been at stake. We have our own cuisine, music, architecture, funeral traditions, literature and cultural structure. And as of late, it looks like it will be preserved.

More restaurants are in operation than before the hurricane, New Orleanians took home two Grammy awards this past year, and many important cultural sites have reopened recently or are scheduled to reopen soon.

The world should take notice. Thanks to the Saints, you're looking. But take a deeper glimpse beyond football at what's going on here. For as challenging a decade as the 2000s were for New Orleans, the 2010s may prove to be the brightest time in the city's nearly 300-year history.

The momentum is building.cueball & wife have been strong advocates of the city. Glad they are here!

[Uptowngirl]

I'm in Professor Cueball's class at Tulane, and he is a nice change of pace from the grumbling I hear out of so many older people.

[ardecila]

^^ Lucky. I wanted to take that class, but figured I didn't stand a chance as a non-Political Science major.

Let's bring New Orleans into the 21st century... cajun style! :haha:

[sgray]

Here's Trump Tower on Bidclerk again. Is there a chance they'll start on this project anytime soon? Says November 2010.




Project ID: 448215

Project Name: Available to Subscribers only. Click here to Sign Up.

Project Type: New Construction, Site Work Documents (2): Map: Aerial Photo:


Building Use: Hotel / Motel, Multi-Residential, Office, Parking Garage, Retail
Reported: 02/19/2010
Status: Design
Private / Public: Private
Location: New Orleans, LA

Project Address: Available to Subscribers only. Click here to Sign Up.

Bid Date:
Est. Start Date: November 2010

DescriptionSite work and new construction of a mixed-use development in New Orleans. Design development plans call for the construction of a 67-story development that will house residential units and a hotel. Plans include 12 floors of parking and ground floor retail space. Each unit will range from 600 to 2,000 square feet.

To view complete project details click here to Sign Up.


Divisions of WorkGeneral Requirements, Site Work -- Site Preparation, Earthwork, Termite Control, Paving, Irrigation Systems, Sewerage, Fences & Gates, Landscaping, Concrete -- Cast-In-Place Concrete, Cementitious Underlayment, Masonry / Stone -- CMU, Veneer, Mortar, Metals -- Structural Steel, Steel Joists, Metal Decking, Metal Framing, Metal Fabrications, Railings, Wood / Plastics -- Rough Carpentry, Wood Decking, Wood Trusses, Glued-Laminated Timber, Finish Carpentry, Architectural Woodwork, Granite Fabrications, Thermal / Moisture -- Insulation, EIFS, Asphalt Shingle Roofing, Sheet Metal Roofing, EPDM Roofing, Flashing & Trim, Roof Accessories, Roof Hatches, Fire Proofing, Caulking & Sealants, Doors / Windows -- Metal Doors & Frames, Wood Doors, Access Doors, Storefronts, Automatic Doors, Aluminum Windows, Hardware, Glazing, Finishes -- Gypsum Board Drywall, Tile, ACT, Resilient Flooring, Carpet, Paint, Wall Coverings, Specialties -- Toilet Compartments, Louvers & Vents, Flagpoles, Signage, Fire Extinguishers, Operable Panel Partitions, Toilet & Bath Accessories, Drinking Fountains & Water Coolers, Equipment -- Commercial Laundry Equipment, Furnishings -- Floor Mats, Special Construction -- Saunas, Pools, Conveying Systems -- Elevators, Linen Chutes, Mechanical -- Motors, Ductwork, Piping, Mechanical Insulation, Valves, Fire Protection, Sprinklers, Sump Pumps, HVAC, Air Filters, Building Controls, Electrical -- Conductors & Cables, Grounding, Raceways, Electrical ID, Lighting, Panelboards, Wiring, Fuses, Switches & Circuit Breakers, Telephone/Data Systems, Fire Alarms

[N.O.L.A.]

That's awesome about the Trump Tower. A couple of months ago or so I attempted to contact their sales office to try and get an update on what was going on with the project. I could never get a response, leading me to think that maybe the project had quietly died. I guess not! This is good news.
I wonder if any changes have been made to the building/project?

[sguil1]

Top Projects of 2010...

http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/wp-files/events/construction-2010.pdf

[tennis1400]

Trump needs to scrap the condotel idea and just go with hotels for part of the building and residences in the other. Condotels are just glorified timeshares.

[N.O.L.A.]

Mid-City VA street closures approved. More positive news for the hospitals.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/mid-city_va_hospital_road_clos.html

[sguil1]

I expect the ball to really get rolling over the next year or so on the new hospitals. Going to be a massive economic boost for the city. Also with the la cancer researc center and bioinnovation center uner construction, the healthcare sector could really diversify the local economy.

[Uptowner]

I have a bad feeling about the Hospitals for some reason. I agree that a new hospital/or a reconstructed one is a top priority for the city, but my gut instinct does not like this deal.

[greenparrot]

I have a bad feeling about the Hospitals for some reason. I agree that a new hospital/or a reconstructed one is a top priority for the city, but my gut instinct does not like this deal.that's because our city & state government is involved...reason to be suspicious. Nevertheless, billions of dollars of investment, an incremmental incease in very good paying jobs and the the revitalization of a neighborhood that is very run down with no hopes for any substantive change seems to be a good thing. Not to mention the positives that will accrue to surrounding ares i.e Tulane corridor and the rest of Mid City.

I heard during the city planning commission meeting that there was something like 180 properties in the VA section with 1/2 un-occupied. There was also 50 something historically significant properties (whatever that means) and only 5 at this point have elected to move with financial assistance. This is our last best chance to actually make something significant out of that area of the city.

[sguil1]

Business groups urge Gov. Bobby Jindal, others to fast-track hospital construction

"The VA is targeting an August ground-breaking"

http://www.nola.com/health/index.ssf/2010/02/business_groups_urge_gov_bobby.html

...also saw a story on wwl about dixie brewery. Apparently state has tried to buy it numerous times but unable to contact owners. City has fined owners $15,000 + for blight. Hopefully this building can be restored with the new hospital plans...

[Uptowngirl]

I saw that story. Unbelievable...are property taxes being paid for the building?

If not seize it.

[sguil1]

Renderings of interior renovations scheduled for the superdome. Article mentions the plans for the pre-game area outside but no finite plans given.

http://superdome.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=71

[rschin2]

sounds like ground should be broken on these hospitals soon! Can't wait to see this finally happen.

[greenparrot]

Renderings of interior renovations scheduled for the superdome. Article mentions the plans for the pre-game area outside but no finite plans given.

http://superdome.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=71check out this interview wL Doug Thornton...click under his picture

http://wistradio.com/

[blueingreen]

Does anyone know what the pilings on the uptown side of Tulane Ave. are for?

Near I-10

[tennis1400]

What part of Tulane?

[Uptowner]

What part of Tulane?

Only thing on the uptown side of Tulane right by I-10 is the Cancer Center.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Street work a barrier to Carrollton, Earhart businesses (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4200/is_20100212/ai_n49845510/)

Norwegian Cruise Line to dock ship year-round in N.O. (http://http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4200/is_20100210/ai_n49589327/)

Algiers condos face foreclosure mess (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4200/is_20100215/ai_n50123136/)

[SlidellWx]

There is a very large crane along I-10 in New Orleans East between Read and Crowder. I think a new apartment development is going up in that area.

[greenparrot]

There is a very large crane along I-10 in New Orleans East between Read and Crowder. I think a new apartment development is going up in that area.i think...hope!!!....it's an elderly complex

[midcity]

Business groups urge Gov. Bobby Jindal, others to fast-track hospital construction

"The VA is targeting an August ground-breaking"

http://www.nola.com/health/index.ssf/2010/02/business_groups_urge_gov_bobby.html

...also saw a story on wwl about dixie brewery. Apparently state has tried to buy it numerous times but unable to contact owners. City has fined owners $15,000 + for blight. Hopefully this building can be restored with the new hospital plans...

Why would it be difficult to contact the Bruno's about their historic property that housed an historic brewery? It seems like it would be easy. As recently as a year ago the Bruno's were quoted as saying they were still trying to bring Dixie back, but I've always wondered how that would fit in with the hospital plans.

Also, the Times-Pic printed a photo last Tuesday of the demolition of the Goodwill Building on Jeff Davis with a caption that read that it was to make room for an office building. Does anyone know what office building will be built there?

[tennis1400]

The Dixie building could be amazing. With all this hospital development and the new criminal complex rebuild, not to mention the massive amounts of rentals added to Tulane I think the building will be primed for a major renovation. Perhaps something along the lines of the American Can Company.

[sgray]

Does anyone know what the pilings on the uptown side of Tulane Ave. are for?

Near I-10

If we are thinking about the same site, it's to be a retail center, primarily for the new apartment complex across the street.

[sguil1]

Construction wraps up on Lower Garden District soundstages
POSTED: 02:30 PM Tuesday, March 2, 2010
BY: CityBusiness staff reports
TAGS: Diane Wheeler-Nicholson, Second Line Stages, Susan Brennan, Trey Burvant
Construction is complete on a soundstage facility in the Lower Garden District.

A ribbon-cutting will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday for Second Line Stages at 800 Richard St., a $32 million project from owner and developer Susan Brennan and film consultants Trey Burvant and Diane Wheeler-Nicholson.

A mix of federal and state tax credits, combined with upfront financing, funded the project.

It involved turning a former taxi garage at Annunciation and Richard streets into two soundstages and three support structures.

New construction includes a four-story office facility, a third soundstage and a digital screening facility with seating for 50.•

[Uptowner]

If we are thinking about the same site, it's to be a retail center, primarily for the new apartment complex across the street.

Isn't that on the downtown side?
The only site that I've seen with piles on Tulane recently is a grass lot 3 or 4 blocks back from the LCRC site. The piles appear to have been test piles that have been there for a while. The only active construction on that side is LCRC.

[SlidellWx]

I drove by the Second Line Stages last month, and it's an impressive redevelopment of the old warehouses. Here's to seeing more of these popping up around town. The city also...finally...repaved the streets around there. Thank God!

[sguil1]

Isn't that on the downtown side?
The only site that I've seen with piles on Tulane recently is a grass lot 3 or 4 blocks back from the LCRC site. The piles appear to have been test piles that have been there for a while. The only active construction on that side is LCRC.

Yeah those pilings are on the campus of LSU-HSC, they have been there since before the storm. Don't know what they were for but I don't think LSU has any plans for that site as of now.

[Aidan]

thanks for the info.

[sguil1]

Mid-City hospital complex land seized by state; former owners plan to sue

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/03/hospital_complex_land_seized_b.html

This building was bought in 2005 and has remained in disrepair since. Often home for squatters. Another great reason to move this project forward. Tear this junk down and replace it with $2 billion worth of infrastructure.

[ardecila]

The VA is not going to tear the building down. Legally, they can't - it's on the National Register as an exceptional Modernist building, and no Federal agency is allowed to tear down National Register buildings. Private owners have no such restriction, of course, and neither does the state.

Despite the more-intact nature of the urban fabric north of Galvez, the VA seems to be making far better decisions than LSU... preserving this building and possibly Dixie Brewery, and NOT dedicating half of the property to parking lots.

PRESS RELEASE:
Department Of Veterans Affairs
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Begins Historic Restoration
NEW ORLEANS, LA – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs begins restoration and repair of the original Pan American Life Insurance Company Building,

“This marks the first of many steps to come as we work towards our goal of creating a 21st century state-of-the-art health care system for our Veterans,” said Ms. Julie Catellier, Director Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System. “Veterans have waited patiently for the return of a Veteran’s hospital since the floodwaters of Katrina forced the closure of the VA Medical Center on Perdido Street. It is an honor to serve our Veterans and continue our mission of providing health care to America’s heroes.”
The Pan American Life Insurance Company Building at 2400 Canal Street, listed individually on the National Register for Historic Places is a significant representation of post-World War II International style architecture.
Designed by internationally renowned New York and Chicago firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the 1953 building was the headquarters of the Pan American Life Insurance Company. The building has a steel frame, glass walls and aluminum sunscreens to shield the interior from the sun. Original features included an elevated terraced entrance and interior courtyard. More recently, the building was used as a City Hall Annex but is currently closed and out of service.
Restoration of The Pan American building will help preserve New Orleans’ unique architectural heritage while simultaneously honoring New Orleans’ proud history of innovation and design. Studio NOVA, a joint venture of NBBJ and local partners Eskew+Dumez+Ripple and Rozas Ward Architects, is the design team for the restoration of the building. Clark/McCarthy Healthcare Partners, in association with local firms Woodward Design+Build and Landis Construction Company, was selected as the Integrated Design and Construct (IDc) contractor and is currently providing preconstruction services to the VA and design team. The Pan Am building will be the first building to come on line as part of the new VA Medical Center, housing education, training, recruitment and administrative services. The VA Medical Center project is scheduled for completion in 2013. The new facility will provide comprehensive healthcare to over 70,000 enrolled Veterans when it opens.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert Goza, Chief of Public Affairs
robert.goza@va.gov Phone: (504) 558-1433 Fax: (504) 558-1429

[sguil1]

even better.

[greenparrot]

frankly, I don't care what they do with the building as long as it doesn't hold up the project. Don't care what "registry" this is on or not. From what I have heard it made this registry in 2008...co-incidentally before an attempt to sell tax credits.

If they can use it...fine. If not...tear it down. Just keep the project moving forward.

Just can't escape the feeling this is inside baseball. Anybody associated with Willy Wonka a.k.a CR Nagin is suspicious to me.

[blueingreen]

Yeah those pilings are on the campus of LSU-HSC, they have been there since before the storm. Don't know what they were for but I don't think LSU has any plans for that site as of now.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking of. I guess I never noticed them before. I'm not in that part of the city much.

[SlidellWx]

The way I understand the "quick-take" process...the only thing that Burgos can sue over is the amount of money he gets. However, the title is now in the states' hands and this will allow the VA to begin repairing this historic mid-century building post-haste. This is great news. Wouldn't be surprised to see construction begin within the month.

[SlidellWx]

Noticed another crane on Canal St. near the Krauss Condos on Sunday. Would this be the Bioinnovation Center project finally moving forward?

[sguil1]

Noticed another crane on Canal St. near the Krauss Condos on Sunday. Would this be the Bioinnovation Center project finally moving forward?

Its well underway, started a few months ago.

http://www.oxblue.com/archive/4bad74fddf2c253138cb4681d075d1d2/current.jpg

[sgray]

The abandoned and in disrepair Texaco building right next door is a disgrace. It needs to be turned into apartments or something soon.



:cool:

[SlidellWx]

Great to see that construction is ongoing on the Bio Center. Thanks for the update. I also agree about the Texaco building. I know that guy that developed the Krauss building owns it, but not sure what he plans to do with it.

[ardecila]

^^^ Is that from Tidewater? I attended classes there for 5 months and I don't think I ever saw a single window while I was up there.

Burgos is well-connected, no doubt. He's also behind the Lake Forest redevelopment... and he got a huge TIF subsidy for that project. I'm still pissed at him for firing DPZ, who developed a great plan for that project, and instead turning it into a standard Wal*Mart plaza that belongs in po-dunk Louisiana, not the state's biggest city in an area that needs to draw people back. He's a major developer who also acts as the chairman for NORTA. A smart man in his situation would be the ideal person to build transit-oriented development around the streetcar lines, but apparently he's so stupid he doesn't even see this possibility.

Why are all the major developers in this town such two-bit losers? Domain Cos. is the only good one I can think of.

[SlidellWx]

The airport has officially broken ground on the Concourse D expansion. Should be complete by the end of 2011. When it is done...Concourse A & B will be closed. The airport is the "front door" to the city for most people, so it's good to see some investment into the facility taking place.

Here is the article

http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2010/03/17/no-airport-to-kickoff-168m-expansion/

N.O. airport kicks off $16.8M expansion
POSTED: 08:53 AM Wednesday, March 17, 2010
BY: CityBusiness staff reports

Construction will being at the end of this month on a $16.8 expansion of Concourse D at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, airport officials said today.

The airport is scheduled to hold a kickoff ceremony for the project at 11 a.m. today in the aviation board room.

In December, the New Orleans Aviation Board awarded the contract to McDonnell Group of Metairie.

The expansion, expected to be finished by late 2011, will add six airline gates in an open-rotunda format, doubling the capacity of the concourse.

The project will also include new food and beverage outlets, new retailers and restrooms.

“The addition of these gates will allow us to begin the transition of our terminal to the west, providing more modern and efficient facilities for our airline tenants and our passengers,” said board Chairman Dan Packer.

Sizeler Thompson Brown Architects of New Orleans is the project’s designer.

Passenger facility charges — fees collected from passengers getting on planes at airports — are funding the project, part of a $417 million airport capital improvement program.

[ardecila]

^ Saw that on the news today. I approve of upgrades to the airport, but do we really need new gates? I'd rather see that $16.8 million applied towards freshening up the 1960s and 1980s terminal areas (which look quite dated). The gates never have capacity issues anyway, except maybe during Mardi Gras.

[Uptowner]

Question. Are there any plans for the space that will be left after the eastern half of the airport is demolished?

[sgray]

What's that they're building just outside the French Quarter on the corner of Rampart and Esplanade? Must be condos. That long empty corner lot has been begging for something to be built on it for years.


:cool:

[ardecila]

I dunno, I've been wondering about that ever since I noticed it the night of Krewe du Vieux.

[Uptowner]

What's that they're building just outside the French Quarter on the corner of Rampart and Esplanade? Must be condos. That long empty corner lot has been begging for something to be built on it for years.


:cool:

http://www.hriproperties.com/Apartments/module/website_documents/website_document[id]/17681

[sgray]

thx, that'll be a great enhancement for that intersection



:cool: