11 replies to this topic

[NCB]

Here's a quick rundown of some of the major residential projects coming to the Tulane Avenue corridor. These first four projects will bring nearly 700 new residential units and new retail options to a corridor that has needed a serious revitalization and reinvestment since long before Katrina.

The Meridian

• 72-units of mixed-income rental housing

The Preserve

• 183-units of mixed-income rental housing

The Crescent Club

• 228-units of mixed-income rental housing
  
• 5,000 square feet of street front retail

Terraces on Tulane

• Volunteers of America project
  
• 200 units of affordable housing for senior citizens and citizens in need

[tombarnes]

It's great to see that Tulane Avenue is coming back to life.  Long before Katrina, this neighborhood seemed to be in need of an infusion of new life.  Good to see that it is happening now.

[nola17]

Don't forget the other projects such as the redeveloped Rock N Bowl shopping center, the new justice district at Tulane and Broad, the LSU & VA Hospitals, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, and the Falstaff Brewery project. Hopefully all of those projects go through. I really see Tulane Avenue as becoming a major economic corridor over the next 5-10 years.

With all the housing units that they are building, I wish they could create more retail centers from S. Carrollton to S Jefferson Davis ParkWay.

[NCB]

Here's the rendering of the Falstaff Brewery project nola mentioned. The old brewery, which has been closed for over 30 years, is being converted into 156 apartments. I believe most of the apartments are now on line, with a few still left under construction.

Before the $20 million conversion project (Courtesy of mike4330 on Flickr)


After the conversion is complete


And here's the site location, about a block over from the corner of Tulane and S. Broad:

[nola17]

Another residential project for Mid-City. I'm really glad there is all this development along Tulane (It is definitely needed) however I hope this doesn't turn into a New Orleans East situation with these apartments slipping into section 8.

I don't think it will happen because of the economic projects such as the Biomedical District and new Justice District and also its proximity to Downtown.

[NCB]

Another residential project announced and more good news for Tulane Ave. and Mid-City!

Mid-City corridor gets more housing
T-P Article

Quote

Just behind the Falstaff building, itself one of the most heralded renovations along Tulane Avenue, a Dallas developer plans to build 250 apartments that could help seal the revival of a depressed section of New Orleans.

And this quote shows that developers from outside of New Orleans (these developers are from Dallas) are keeping a close eye on the future economic impact of the LSU/VA hospital:

Quote

Matt Harris, a development partner with Provident, said the company chose the land because of its proximity to the Louisiana State University hospital slated to be built at Tulane and Claiborne avenues and because other developers seemed to be pouring money into the area.

"We could see that it was an area in transition, that a lot of the industrial use was going to mixed use and residential use," Harris said. "It looks like a growth area."

[JPKneworleans]

NCB, on Jun 20 2008, 11:31 PM, said:

Another residential project announced and more good news for Tulane Ave. and Mid-City!

Mid-City corridor gets more housing
T-P Article





And this quote shows that developers from outside of New Orleans (these developers are from Dallas) are keeping a close eye on the future economic impact of the LSU/VA hospital:

These projects have the potential to completely change the character as well as upper Poydras, close to its end.  Imagine, if the apartments are successful, the change in the types of retail outlets that could follow.

[NCB]

JPKneworleans, on Jun 22 2008, 12:12 AM, said:

Imagine, if the apartments are successful, the change in the types of retail outlets that could follow.

With new and increased numbers of residents, along with major business from the hospitals and research centers, the possibilities for this part of the city are endless. Seeing how the Warehouse District went from being an urban wasteland to one of the city's premier neighborhoods in 20 years, I have high hopes for the Tulane Ave. corridor and that portion of Mid-City. Thanks to the future LSU-VA hospital and the surrounding research centers, Tulane Ave. really has a chance to, like the Warehouse District, begin to attract young professionals. And as business and residents increase, new shops, restaurants, and entertainment options would pop up around them.

It's still hard to believe that developers are now looking at Tulane Ave. as a real area for growth. When all of those projects appeared throughout 2007, I was extremely skeptical, if nothing else because they were supposed to be built along Tulane Ave. But here we are a year later, and they're happening.

[djp4lsu]

nola17, on Jun 20 2008, 10:28 PM, said:

I hope this doesn't turn into a New Orleans East situation with these apartments slipping into section 8.

That thought has crossed my mind too, and I think that with the prison nearby, and the amount of low income housing that these developments are including, I think that the section 8 thing is a possibility. I hope that they are successful though, because that area could be great. Hopefully these projects will spur revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood too, not just on Tulane itself.

[NCB]

djp4lsu, on Jun 22 2008, 04:59 PM, said:

That thought has crossed my mind too, and I think that with the prison nearby, and the amount of low income housing that these developments are including, I think that the section 8 thing is a possibility. I hope that they are successful though, because that area could be great. Hopefully these projects will spur revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood too, not just on Tulane itself.

I think the key is the possibility of more income coming to Tulane Ave. and the surrounding area. With the LSU-VA Hospital, BioInnovation Center, and Cancer Research Center, you'll have alot of young professionals with much higher saleries working and possibly living nearby. It's a major change for that part of New Orleans, which hasn't seen any new industry in an extremely long time. While the possibility of the new housing slipping to lower levels is certainly there, I think these developments (with the exception of Terraces on Tulane) are going to be targeted at the new professionals expected to be working in the area within the next decade.

I'd also be interested in knowing how many of these developments would be including any lower income housing if there were no tax breaks and credits available for doing so.

[nola17]

Does anyone know the percentage how low income housing to be included in these apartments individually. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that the middle and high income tops the low income. NO OFFENSE. I think there is a need for more single family developments as well as large scale.

Quote

I think these developments (with the exception of Terraces on Tulane) are going to be targeted at the new professionals expected to be working in the area within the next decade.

I envision this area being home to many workers affiliated with the biomedical, research, and criminal justice fields. I also hope that all of the development along Tulane will spin off and bring new upscale retail to the Jeff Davis Corridor. It could be Mid-City's St. Charles Avenue.

Edited by nola17, 22 June 2008 - 09:58 PM.

[JPKneworleans]

I can't see these turning into Section 8 nightmares.  The area is too close to downtown and the area that will be the heart of the rebirth of New Orleans' medical district.  A minor benefit, I hope, will be the repaving of Poydras on the Lakebound side of Claiborne.  The are very bad bumps on that street.