You can watch the progress of the 2 hospitals live on this link:
http://skanska.workzonecam.com/

Also, WDSU has a clip with updates on some projects going on around town:
http://www.wdsu.com/money/30830232/detail.html

Looks like someone uses Windows 98 still.

Convention Center Money
 

My understanding is that the $90 million is from the old Submerged Roads Program now called "pathways to progress" or some stupid politically happier sounding name and thus all federal $$$.

That money is only for damage caused to roads and sidewalks from flooding and related damage from heavy equipment using the roads after the flood.

And then the $30 million on top of that from the convention center is going to be fixing things that the Fed money can't be used for or as they say "dissatisfiers" or everything from covering graffitti, replacing street signs, planting trees in empty planters, sprucing up vacant properties,... you name it.

Basically that money would remove the "grunge" and make it more "disney-land-esque" but we sure as hell could use it even though I hate the thought of the Quarter being like a Disney bubble i dont' think that'll ever be the case.

As far as the $20 million the state rep wants to steal (in my mind) and use for Medicaid the Convention Center apparnetly has $20 million allotted for future expansion, but the state was quick to note that the STATE has $20 million in it's budget for the expansion, but that is on the "level 5" priority list or rather the absolute bottom....so that's kind of meaningless.

I'd rather the state leave the money for the Center to use as they see fit. In the case of the $30 million they realized they need to not only keep the center nice and clean but also the surrounding area, makes sense...but to raid their coffer and use it on Medicaid? Come on....

Permits
 

Oh and on the permits:

200 Chartres is "Mena's Restaurant" - I've never been out of the assumption it's a tourist trap or at least heavily tourist travelled. Glad to see it expanding into what i think is a vacant space but any one ever been to it? Worth a shot?

800 Magazine is that property that Stirling is going to redevelop that we've posted about a little ways back, but glad to see it moving along. $3.5 mil is a pretty nice shot in the arm.

Yeah this is the building on the corner of Magazine and Julia that is being returned to its original look in the 1880s. Landis construction is the contractor.

Permits:(not too much interesting today)

2372 ST CLAUDE AVE
SUITE 124
NEW ORLEANS LA 70117
CONVERT VACANT SHELL INTO A RETAIL SPACE(RED BUD DRESSMAKING) AS PER SKETCH.

710 CANAL ST
NEW ORLEANS LA 70130
CONVERT VACANT COMMERCIAL BUILDING INTO A MIX USE BUILDING AS PER PLANS. 1ST FLOOR WILL BE USED AS RETAIL AND 2ND FLOOR WILL BE USED AS OFFICE SPACE. NO USE AND OCCUPANCY OF THE 3RD & 4TH FLOOR

6246 GENERAL DIAZ ST
NEW ORLEANS LA 70124
NEW PARKING LOT FOR MIXED-OCCUPANCY (1-COMMERCIAL, 1-RESIDENTIAL) STRUCTURE AS PER SKETCH AND PUBLIC WORKS APPROVAL.

This is really disappointing. These old buildings have massive windows and are great live/work or loft spaces.

It would really help these Canal Street properties if a developer came along willing to rent these upper floors from the building owners, renovate them, and sublet them to residential tenants.

St Bernard approved the microbrewery. :D

Seriously, wouldn't the owners want to maximize their profits???

More than likely this has to do with fire code.

If you install a sprinkler system, you can get by with only one set of fire stairs. Still, these buildings are insanely deep. Unless you're doing one unit per floor, you're gonna need to cut light wells.

I know this isn't related to a specific development of any type, but it's important for continued investment in the area. The Census Bureau released the 2011 estimates today, and it shows New Orleans as the 9th fastest growing county in the nation from 2010 to 2011 The metro area ranked 35th in growth.

The New Orleans Metro Area grew 2.0% from 1,167,764 to 1,191,089. The city of New Orleans population increased from 343,829 to 360,740 representing a growth rate of 4.9%. Very impressive rates of growth for the area...as evidenced by all of the construction activity going on right now.

Here is a link to the information...

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/relea...s_webinar.html

Now back to the all of the exciting things happening around town.

Great news... if we can keep those rates of growth up we'll truly be one of the hot cities of the 2010's. Or the 10's. Or whatever this decade is.

Real Estate
 

Report says real estate is going to make a comeback in NOLA:

http://www.nola.com/business/index.s...arket_wil.html

I was talking to someone i know yesterday who's very involved in real estate locally who told me the exact opposite. He said most of the banks have been hoarding their foreclosures so as to not flood the market all at once, but that they plan on dropping a bunch of them on the market as summer approaches since it's usually the good sales season. He expects that to force prices back down.

As someone that hopes to buy something over the next year or two..I'm all for it .

I'd like to learn more about buying a foreclosed home or from the Sherriff's auction. Any good resources to learn more?

Im not sure I believe that about the foreclosures, but part of the cleansing of the system is getting through the foreclosures. New Orleans and Louisiana as a whole never had a lot of them because our job market was more stable and real estate here never inflated to ridiculous prices. No one bought a million dollar home here for a million dollars with zero down. Yeah Im looking at you California!

(on the sheriff's sale) It's tougher than you might think. The one time I went, almost all of them went to the seizing creditor. They will bid up to the amount of indebtedness, so the only way to really get lucky is to find a property that a. there isn't that much owed on and b. nobody else is interested in.

I bought my condo at foreclosure last year. It was a FannieMae property, the website for those is homepath.com. You can also specify "reo" on latter-blum.com and it will give you a list of bank-owned properties.

As far as the actual purchasing goes, it's still the same, you have to have a closing, sign a mortgage or transfer funds, etc.

One thing I learned the hard way is that OP assessor will not automatically assess the property at what you paid for it. They just keep the assessment the same, which means they left my assessment in Mid-City at about $150/ sf :hell:

Foreclosure info
 

Good info! Thanks! I assume the "Claim Amount" listed on the properties on the sherrif's site is the amount owed. I've only seen a few that aren't in a sh*thole part of town or aren't in totaly disrepair that have a "good" price (claim amount) on them. Thus i assume because they're cheap and in a good part of town, etc that they prob get bid up quickly.

This is absolutely fantastic! Here's to hoping these trends continue!

City Planning Commission Hearing Notices for April 24th:

Some Highlights:
ZONING DOCKET 43/12 –Request by DOBY PROPERTIES, LLC for a Zoning
Change from an HMR-1 Historic Marigny/Tremé Residential District to an HMC-2
Historic Marigny/Tremé Commercial District and a Conditional Use to permit an
amusement place, on Square 199, Lot 1 or A, and B or B-1, in the Second Municipal
District, bounded by North Claiborne and Ursulines Avenue, North Robertson and
Governor Nicholls Streets. The municipal addresses are 1601 Ursulines Avenue and
1113 North Robertson Street. (ZBM D-13/PD 4)



ZONING DOCKET 44/12 – Request by JOSEPH J. PACIERA, JOSEPH C.
PACIERA and TONI ANN PACIERA for a Conditional Use to permit the sale of
alcoholic beverages for consumption on-premises at a standard restaurant in a B-1A
Neighborhood Business District, on Square 73, Lot 9 or B and 1, in the Fourth
Municipal District, bounded by Jackson Avenue, Annunciation, Chippewa and
Josephine Streets. The municipal address is 739 Jackson Avenue. (ZBM C-15/PD 2)


ZONING DOCKET 46/12 – Request by 4 Z’S VENTURES, LLC for a Conditional
Use to permit a retail establishment greater than 10,000 square feet in floor area in a
C-1A General Commercial District, on Square 238, Lot 1 or X, or Lots Pt. 32A, 2, 1,
6, 5 and Pt. of an undesignated lot, in the First Municipal District, bounded by the
Pontchartrain Expressway, Carondelet, Clio, and Baronne Streets. The municipal
address is 1117 Carondelet Street. (ZBM C-14/PD 2)

ZONING DOCKET 47/12 – Request by VILMA NORTON for a Conditional Use
to permit a fast food restaurant in a B-1 Neighborhood Business District, on Square
98, Lot 5, in the Seventh Municipal District, bounded by Maple, Burthe, Adams and
Hillary Streets. The municipal address is 7621 Maple Street. (ZBM A-13/PD 3)

Docket
 

Sweet!!!

1117 Carondelet is the old Fleet Tire Service building that's been vacant for a long time! Who knows what they want to do with it, but as long as it's not vacant i'm mostly good for it.

And 739 Jackson is Finger Lickin Wings. That's the wing place that the rapper owns and i've actually wanted to check it out....

That is great information, but the link is not working and says the page has been removed.