The Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region applauds Mayor Cantrell, the New Orleans City Council, Entergy and the Sewerage and Water Board for working together to advance one of the most critical infrastructure projects for New Orleans. The new S&WB power substation will greatly enhance the reliability of the City’s water-related infrastructure, including pumps and pump stations, and reduce the chances of boil water advisories and flooding resulting from bad weather events. This is a major milestone in creating the critical infrastructure necessary to ensure a prosperous future for New Orleans.
Construction on the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Patch, Mill and Overlay project is scheduled to begin in May and the city expects it to continue for about 14 months. The city is holding a pre-construction community meeting on Tuesday (April 26) from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Allie Mae Williams Multi-Service Center second-floor meeting room at 2020 Jackson Ave. See here to register. A copy of the presentation will be sent to all registrants and uploaded to roadwork.nola.gov/projects before the meeting. Protected bike lanes will be added in both directions of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
In a divided vote held after two months of hearings, the Historic District Landmarks Commission gave the green light to a new mixed-use building on Magazine Street in the Irish Channel. Their April 6 ruling will now go before the City Council, which could overturn the vote. The Garden District Association has filed an appeal, GDA Executive Director Shelley Landrieu told Uptown Messenger. Garden District, Irish Channel and Lower Garden District residents came out in force to oppose the plans for the three-story 15,000-square-foot building planned for an empty lot at 2230 Magazine St. The HDLC received 29 letters of opposition to the plans and one letter of support, according to city records.
The City Council voted Thursday (March 24) to uphold the Historic District Landmarks Commission’s approval of a developer’s request to raze a house on Henry Clay Avenue in the Uptown historic district. The demolition had been challenged by preservation advocate Susan Johnson. The HDLC staff backed the demolition request in its report to the commission and its testimony to the City Council. It’s rare that the HDLC staff support a demolition, according to Eleanor Burke, the commission’s deputy director. “Once historic resources or buildings that contribute to the heritage of a community are destroyed,” Burke told the council, “it is generally impossible to reproduce their design, texture, materials, details and their special character and interest in the neighborhood.”
With music ringing out from speakers on the basketball court, tasty food from local eateries Peewee’s Crabcakes and Heard Dat Kitchen and a variety of local institutions with tables full of swag, the city’s first Neighborhood Cares initiative event brought the party to the Keller Community Center. The event organized by Hands On New Orleans and the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office kicked off the initiative that is part vaccine drive, part job and resource fair, and part neighborhood cleanup.
At the many tables laden with swag, residents talked with representatives from city offices and nonprofits talked to residents about how to access services.
Nola Ready, New Orleans’ disaster preparedness agency, had a table, as did Nola 311 and RoadWork Nola. Roadwork Nola workers had tablets at the ready at the table and were showing attendees how to use the website to check on construction and street repair in their area, and contact the agency about concerns.
There are several Roadwork Nola projects active in Central City, and the website shows the construction areas and road closures. Residents can also call 504-658-ROAD to get information or communicate with the agency. At a neighboring table, workers from 311 were at the ready to explain how to use the city’s non-emergency number. Orleans Parish residents can call 311 to report infrastructure issues like potholes and streetlight outages; problems with trash and recycling, mosquitoes and rodents and other issues. The service connects them to the relevant agency.
Nola Ready workers surveyed residents about disaster preparedness as they gear up for hurricane season, officially from June 1 to Nov.
Thirteen year-old Byron “Little B” Kelly Jr. was just a normal kid who enjoyed haircuts and football. Kelly’s decision to walk to the corner store Tuesday evening (March 15) inextricably placed him in harm’s way. Unfortunately, Kelly’s life — like those of many other victims of senseless acts of violence — ended far too soon. Despite multiple marches, candlelight vigils and impassioned pleas by the public, the New Orleans Police Department under the direction of Superintendent Shaun Ferguson has not been able to reverse the crime epidemic. Carjackings may have slowed during Carnival but could spike again anytime.
From the Mayor’s Engagement Office
The Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office announced it will regretfully postpone the Neighborhood Cares Day in Central City due to inclement weather. The re-scheduled event will be held next Saturday (March 19) at the Keller Community Center, 1814 Magnolia St., from 9 a.m. to noon. City departments, residents, churches, schools and businesses in Central City will come together to beautify and clean the neighborhood. Residents will also be able to enjoy free food and music, free COVID-19 tests and vaccines, job opportunities, a resource fair and more. The Central City Neighborhood Cares Day is held in partnership with HandsOn New Orleans, PeeWee’s Crabcakes, Heard Dat Kitchen, New Orleans East Hospital and CORE New Orleans.
The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority is taking steps to renovate the dilapidated firehouse at 2314 Louisiana Ave. The agency is seeking community input on how to redevelop the 7,000-square-foot city-owned building. On Wednesday evening (March 10), NORA hosted a community meeting via Zoom. The historic firehouse is blighted, and NORA’s goal put it back into commerce. Seth Knudsen, NORA’s real estate development director, said the vacant firehouse is zoned as a historic urban mixed-use district, or HU-MU, which permits residential use as well as a variety of commercial uses from child care to medical and dental clinics to grocery stores and more.
“When we consider the range of things that’s permitted, this is among the most diverse zoning districts in the city and really contemplates a pretty wide range of possible future uses for the structure,” Knudsen said.
On Saturday (March 12), the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office will be joined by residents, churches, schools and businesses for a community care day and resource fair in Central City. The event kicks off the city’s Neighborhood Cares Initiative. In coordination with Hands On New Orleans, volunteers will be able to beautify the neighborhood by removing litter and debris near the Keller Community Center, 1814 Magnolia St., and the surrounding streets. Residents will also be able to enjoy free food, free Covid-19 tests and vaccines, music, a resource fair and more. The event will be held at the Keller Community Center from 9 a.m. to noon.
When New Orleans elected officials don’t feel the urgency to consistently wear masks at Carnival festivities, how can they expect citizens and visitors to take the rules seriously? Social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor have been blowing up with posts this week regarding the reckless behavior of Mayor LaToya Cantrell, her besties and others whose images were captured sans masks at the Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball last Friday night. National and international media attention was extensive.
“Why waste your emotions on this,” wrote Daveida Pittman on Nextdoor. “We all know what it is. But the citizens elected her again, so apparently people love the hypocrisy ….” New Orleanians understand that the rules Cantrell put in place allow for masks to be removed when eating or drinking. Most of the Gallier Hall video and other images available appear to show that masks were barely worn once the party moved into high gear.
