land use & development

Irish Channel Neighborhood Association looks at rezoning, alcohol permit requests

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The Irish Channel Neighborhood Association’s Land Use Committee is holding a meeting Sunday to discuss two land-use issues that are coming before the City Planning Commission. One request is for 1027-1029 Ninth St., where Hair of the Dog Saloon and The Sundmaker Firm are requesting a rezoning from residential (HU-RD2 classification) to commercial (HU-B1 classification). The second request is for 2368 Magazine St. Molly’s Rise and Shine wants to rezone the property from residential (HU-RD2 classification) to commercial (HU-B1A classification) and is requesting conditional use approval to serve alcohol. The meeting is Sunday June 30, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Raphael Academy, 500 Soraparu St.

business

Champagne Stroll: Magazine Street to host 9th annual shopping event

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The Magazine Street Merchants Association will present its ninth annual Magazine Street Champagne Stroll on Saturday, May 11. Over 100 Magazine Street businesses will provide free sparkling wine, with many offering special deals, live music, promotional sales, and art or trunk shows. Participating shops will extend their hours to 9 p.m. This is a chance for locals and visitors to support businesses on Magazine Street the day before Mother’s Day. The event is free and open to the public. Visit magazinestreet.com for a list of participating stores, shops, galleries, and restaurants. About MSMA
The Magazine Street Merchants Association is a coalition of business located on or near New Orleans’ Magazine Street corridor.

neighborhood groups

Volunteers to add spring flowers to Coliseum Square

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The Lower Garden District Association is hosting a volunteer “Park Work Day” in Coliseum Square Park this Saturday at 10 a.m.

The goal of the day will be to plant some beautiful flowers (provided by Parks and Parkways) around Lafon Fountain. Volunteers meet at Lafon Fountain, Camp and Terpsichore streets. It’s a chance to meet neighbors and get some exercise in before French Quarter Festival. For more information and to RSVP, go to the event Facebook page. The association’s April meeting will be held on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Felicity Church, 1220 Felicity.

Festivals

Broadmoor’s EATmoor festival needs volunteers, sponsors

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The Broadmoor Improvement Association (BIA) is searching for vendors, sponsors, and volunteers to join their EATmoor! Spring Festival on Tuesday, May 7. BIA says the event will feature local food trucks, local restaurants and caterers “to raise awareness around bringing healthy and affordable food options for needy families in our community.” Participants are asked to bring non-perishable food items to support the Broadmoor Food Pantry. The Broadmoor Food Pantry provides over 600 meals each month to families in need. EATmoor!

city government

Advocate: Trade in the works for McDonogh 7 building on Milan

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The Housing Authority of New Orleans is making a bid for the McDonogh 7 building on Milan Street, expected to be vacated by the Audubon Charter School  in 2021, in exchange for the much sought-after land for a sports field next to the new Booker T. Washington High School on Earhart Boulevard, Della Hasselle reports in the New Orleans Advocate. The Orleans Parish School Board agreed Thursday to enter into talks with HANO, which wants the 120-year-old McDonogh 7 building for a mixed-use, mixed-income complex. A mention of the Touro Bouligny Neighborhood Association was removed from this aggregation. The TBNA President Rella Zapletal, clarified the association’s position: “The TBNA is not against mixed-use or mixed-income development on the McDonogh No. 7 property, as long as the density is appropriate for the neighborhood.

business

Carrollton Courthouse redevelopment plans face additional scrutiny

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The City Council rejected an appeal Thursday from a neighborhood group wanting to send the Carrollton Courthouse renovation plans back to the Historic District Landmarks Commission, but it could put the design for an assisted living facility in the historic building back on the drawing board anyway. The Maple Area Residents Inc., or MARI, objected to the commission’s “conceptual approval” of the developer’s plans, citing concerns with the additions to the original building. Saying he’s “been advised that we can’t just send it back to HDLC,” District A Councilman Joe Giarrusso moved to deny the appeal. But he added two conditions that could lead to revisions to the plans for a building that is considered the district’s most historically and architecturally significant. The other council members agreed.

city government

Civil Leadership Academy begins accepting applications today

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The Office of Neighborhood Engagement is inviting residents to participate in one of the office’s most popular initiatives, the Civic Leadership Academy. This is an eight-week program that provides residents with an in-depth look at city government. The program includes tours, hands-on demonstrations and presentations that give participants an insider’s view of how the city operates. With this knowledge, participants will be better equipped to lead collective action toward the advancement of neighborhoods and residents’ quality of life. The program is free.

events

Irish Channel neighbors invited to Holiday Happy Hour on Thursday

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The Irish Channel Neighborhood Association is holding a Holiday Happy Hour on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Revelers will gather at Pete’s Out in the Cold, 701 Sixth St. at Chippewa, to celebrate the season, spend time with neighbors and wear an ugly Christmas sweater. Pete’s will have happy hour prices during this event. They have pizza for sale as always, or feel free to bring a dish or snacks to share.

events

Restored fountain unveiled in Coliseum Square Park (Photos)

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Photos by Zach Brien, UptownMessenger.com

On Saturday, Dec. 1, the Lower Garden District Association announced the completion of the Lafon Fountain in Coliseum Square Park. The fountain is dedicated to preservationist Howard Schmalz, who was instrumental in getting the Lower Garden District placed on the National Register of Historic Places and in defeating a Mississippi River bridge that would have cut into the heart of the neighborhood.

business

City Council shuts down plan for daiquiri shop on lower St. Charles Avenue

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A controversial plan for a daiquiri shop in the Lower Garden District was scuttled Thursday when the City Council unanimously backed Councilman Jay Banks’ motion to deny a conditional use permit for the storefront building at 1610 St. Charles Ave. The decision came after the months of vocal opposition from neighborhood groups, with members bringing up the unruly crowds that gathered outside the Daiquiri Place Café, two blocks away at 1401 St. Charles Ave. That business was shut down in 2012 after the city revoked its liquor license due to repeated, multiple violations.