NEW ORLEANS | Project/Development Thread

[Blitzen]

Regarding the Market Street development, if the developer were wise he would push for the Convention Center Streetcar line to be constructed as soon as possible. He would even pay the extra to extend it to the plant (there's already the train tracks next to it) and maybe even go further to the Walmart / Jackson Avenue Ferry Landing to increase ridership.

I could actually see tourists and locals shopping and living there if the streetcar went directly to it. And I could see that line being built if a developer demanded it and offered to put up some of the money.

[tennis1400]

The streetcar is a definite must. In fact I always thought the streetcar should go down to at least Jackson and then use Magazine all the way up to to the River by the Zoo.

[ardecila]

I don't think there's enough room on Magazine. I can barely bike down Magazine, where are the streetcar tracks gonna go? The curbside parking is also important for the businesses along the street, so you can't nix that.

I'd much rather that NORTA upgrade the bus service on Magazine to a 15-minute frequency all day (7-10min during rush) and invest in proper bus stops with shelters and next-bus signs. It's just the only form of transit that is compatible with Magazine St.

It's also way cheaper. You could probably do the entire length of Magazine for $40m. The street's already getting resurfaced, which should speed up traffic a bit. Unfortunately they are not reconstructing the road to fix the subgrade and the pipes/sewers beneath.

[DillardAlum]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Random, but...

WTF? Why is this not in New Orleans?

Louis Armstrong House Museum (Queens, NY)

Agreed, but remember, the city razed his New Orleans home and neighborhood to build the "new" City Hall on Loyola--And this was after is worldwide fame. Also, he settled in NYC, and not NOLA, because of the legal racial segregation. Armstrong's opinions of this are well documented. To the city's benefit, he does have a park and airport...

Isn't there going to be a new jazz museum in the old mint? I'm sure it will have a significant Armstrong presence...

But I concur with your "WTF".

[ardecila]

I'm just pissed that our city keeps squandering opportunities. Jazz music is easily New Orleans' greatest contribution to the world.

Cities are successful when they identify their key assets and strengths, and then pour resources into them to become dominant. Music and dining are New Orleans' biggest strengths, and a lot of the time it seems that city leaders aren't squarely behind these industries.

Hell, we can't even get Armstrong Park fully up and running. The National Park Service washed their hands of the whole thing, and they're moving into the Mint instead.

[tennis1400]

Well I suppose you could have more than one Armstrong House museum either way Jazz and New Orleans are synonymous. So its a bit irrelevant.

Also, Magazine is a tight corridor which is why I think a system that runs buses off of a power line could work. And all the bus would do is go back and forth down the street. Sort of like an express light rail.

[Blitzen]

Originally Posted by ardecila

I don't think there's enough room on Magazine. I can barely bike down Magazine, where are the streetcar tracks gonna go? The curbside parking is also important for the businesses along the street, so you can't nix that.

Just a reminder, the streetcar ran down Magazine Street from 1861 - 1948.

Magazine street is actually pretty wide. I know cars were fewer and narrower back then, but if the street needs to be widened by taking up the space between the curb/sidewalk (as was recently done on Oak St.) and the sidewalk was narrowed in some spaces, I could see it working again.

[urbanwatcher]

Here are some old street car lines-

http://d.imagehost.org/0143/Picture_11.png

http://b.imagehost.org/0324/Picture_12.png


Glad to see this becoming a topic of conversation in New Orleans.

[SlidellWx]

Concerning the Whitney/Hancock merger...overall looks to be good news for New Orleans. Getting the corporate HQ of a bank that should rank among the 50 largest in the nation in terms of assets will only add to the business clout of the region.

[ardecila]

Yeah, I'm leaning toward Bass Pro Shops now too. The last article mentions a "themed hotel" - something that Bass Pro Shops has now proposed for several of their locations, including the one in Memphis. As far as I know, IKEA is not in the hotel business.

It's a bit of a disappointment, but the Bass Pro Shop planned for the Pyramid is gonna be pretty cool - the sales floor will be in a suspended treehouse atop gigantic artificial trees that sit in a swamp. All of this somehow fits inside the Pyramid.

I guess the only thing to worry about are the inevitable massive parking lots that always go along with a Bass Pro Shop.

[DillardAlum]

Bass Pro Shops is a huge disappointment, but one benefit would be that it would not only encourage nola residents to shop in nola, but for some reason I can imagine it to be a big attraction for the suburban parishes.

[tennis1400]

I would love for it to be both actually, but as I said earlier Ikea doesnt do historic reuse. They like big box store with their name on top so u can see it when u fly over any city. Either way I do see an Ikea coming here, although I will say Im surprised that many Nola residents order from Bass Pro online? Maybe its a Crate and Barrel or something like that?

[tennis1400]

BTW I unforunately got stuck reading a comment on NOLA.com. How in the world does someone see it as a negative for business if Hancock buys Whitney and then locates the much larger companies' headquarters in the city? Man there are some seriously negative people on that board!

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[Nolacat157]

Originally Posted by tennis1400

BTW I unforunately got stuck reading a comment on NOLA.com. How in the world does someone see it as a negative for business if Hancock buys Whitney and then locates the much larger companies' headquarters in the city? Man there are some seriously negative people on that board!

Yeah its best to stay away from the Nola.com comment section. Nothing but angry people post in there. I was worried when I first read that headline because I didnt want to lose the Whitney name but after I read they are keeping the name for the banks in LA and moving thier HDQTS here, its a win-win.

[nolaproud]

Originally Posted by tennis1400

I could be reading to much into the story but I dont think its Ikea they are talking about as they said " a national billion dollar retailer" is interested in it. IKEA would generally be referred to as an international retailer. Could just be reading too much into semantics but thought Id point that out nonetheless.

Market street would be a great location for an IKEA and it would generate huge tax revenue for the city. But just a thought...it not an IKEA, how about a COSTCO??!! Now that's a national $billion retailer that would fill the space out nicely...though I don't know how much of an internet presence they have in NOLA. I know this is a pipe dream, but I'd love to see a Trader Joe's in that space (I know the space is too large, but like I said, it's a pipe dream).
I'm not really sold on the Bass Pro Shop. I do think the area has great potential for the Pro Shop (anywhere between the 90 and walmart along Tchoups) but I personally don't think it would work well in the historic entergy building. Anyway, there's my 2 cents

[tennis1400]

The Bass Pro Shop just seems likely because of what they are doing in Memphis. Reusing a very large facility in a downtown area. I think Bass Pro is it because its the only store besides a Costco or Ikea that could eat that space. I suppose a Cabelas could be possible too, but destination retail would indicate either Ikea or Bass Pro. As far as Trader Joes, remember the developers said they will be seeking additional tenants that will compliment the main tenant. Also, if the store is requiring that they be fully open by the 2013 Superbowl I would think that strongly indicates the retailer is Sports related.

[jowens]

No way Cabelas and Bass Pro would do this with them already having a presence in Gonzales and Denham.

Now Costco or Ikea....that would be pretty cool.

[ardecila]

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

I don't think Costco would be able to re-use the Entergy plant - their stores are always very bare-bones, because they generate a very low margin. It doesn't make sense for them to embark on a multi-million-dollar reuse project, unless taxpayers are footing a big part of the bill.

As a side note, Bass Pro Shops, almost uniformly, gets local governments to help pay for their stores. They prey off of depressed communities seeking economic development. Now, that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a good deal in the long run for the city, since there would be a lot of new sales tax revenue flowing in. But I want to see some independent analysis before the city spends its extremely scarce funds to subsidize a retailer. After all, we can't even manage to start on the riverfront park.

[Uptowner]

Originally Posted by jowens

No way Cabelas and Bass Pro would do this with them already having a presence in Gonzales and Denham.

Houston and Miami both have 2 Bass Pros in their metros. If they don't mind putting 2 in one city, I'm sure they don't have a problem with 2 in one region.

[tennis1400]

Link to a great presentation on everything the city is doing infrastructurewise:

http://www.nola.gov/PRESS/City%20Of%...CFC7D1FFE.ashx