New Orleans Development Thread

[Antrell Williams]

That fake landmark is hideous and has nothing to do with New Orleans or even Louisiana.

[timelordnerd]

That fake landmark is hideous and has nothing to do with New Orleans or even Louisiana.

Neither did the Eiffel Tower when it was built, but it has become a symbol of Paris. 

[Antrell Williams]

Neither did the Eiffel Tower when it was built, but it has become a symbol of Paris. 

You would rather demolish an existing skyscraper which could employ and house thousands including potentially housing consulates from around the world, for a potentially iconic structure on one of the most valuable pieces of land in the city?

[timelordnerd]

You would rather demolish an existing skyscraper which could employ and house thousands including potentially housing consulates from around the world, for a potentially iconic structure on one of the most valuable pieces of land in the city?

After visiting the site in May this type of face lift is needed. I Also think that a mixed use building (tall as the original) could be used on the side by the Aquarium and Casino. 

[Antrell Williams]

Another skyscraper is not going to be built in it's place. The current tower looks good, is historical, and has great views of the city.

[timelordnerd]

Another skyscraper is not going to be built in it's place. The current tower looks good, is historical, and has great views of the city.

Honestly I think that so far the Tricentennial crap is the best plan proposed yet. Maybe they could add a smaller version and renovate the older tower and turn into a mixed use area. Make that the heart of the city.

[richyb83]

Work underway on Wampold’s luxury New Orleans apartments

 

Interior demolition has started for 100 Elk, a luxury apartment building Baton Rouge developer Mike Wampold is building between Canal Street and Tulane Avenue in New Orleans. Wampold will spend about $20 million renovating the 16-story office building. The plan is to put 8,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space on the ground floor, with seven floors of parking above that and 100 apartments on top of the garage.

 

*rendering included

http://theadvocate.com/news/business/6617068-123/work-underway-on-wampolds-luxury

[nickels]

I think that tower is quite possibly the ugliest thing I've ever seen. I'm all for getting the area back up and running but that "landmark" is atrocious.

[Antrell Williams]

I think that tower is quite possibly the ugliest thing I've ever seen. I'm all for getting the area back up and running but that "landmark" is atrocious.

The city council has pretty much turned down that crap-tastic proposal. Preserving the WTC will happen.

[nickels]

The city council has pretty much turned down that crap-tastic proposal. Preserving the WTC will happen.

Thank god. The last thing we needed was a waffle cone in downtown New Orleans.

[Antrell Williams]

Check Out These New Plans For Lee Circle

 

http://nola.curbed.com/archives/2013/08/23/check-out-these-new-plans-for-lee-circle.php

 

 

[Mr. Burnham]

New Orleans Airport has largest passenger growth in the US; http://theadvocate.com/home/9030598-125/no-airport-has-largest-passenger

 

Great news for the region, hopefully means the tourism is picking up in this area. However, I'm interested to see how this will impact BR growth, seems like the NOLA mayor is doing a better job attracting people to the city over BR's.

[Antrell Williams]

New Orleans Airport has largest passenger growth in the US; http://theadvocate.com/home/9030598-125/no-airport-has-largest-passenger

 

Great news for the region, hopefully means the tourism is picking up in this area. However, I'm interested to see how this will impact BR growth, seems like the NOLA mayor is doing a better job attracting people to the city over BR's.

You do realize that New Orleans is an international tourism draw, right? Baton Rouge is often confused as a suburb of New Orleans.

With that said, Baton Rouge does pretty well for it's size. Bayou Country Superfest is pretty big, we had the Bowling Congress here in 2012 and they are coming back in 2017 and 2025. That tournament had an impact of $113 million in 2012 and 70,000 visitors. LSU also draws huge numbers during football season. Baton Rouge does pretty well in the huge shadow it lives in.

[Mr. Burnham]

You do realize that New Orleans is an international tourism draw, right? Baton Rouge is often confused as a suburb of New Orleans.

With that said, Baton Rouge does pretty well for it's size. Bayou Country Superfest is pretty big, we had the Bowling Congress here in 2012 and they are coming back in 2017 and 2025. That tournament had an impact of $113 million in 2012 and 70,000 visitors. LSU also draws huge numbers during football season. Baton Rouge does pretty well in the huge shadow it lives in.

Oh yes I understand that, I was just saying that NOLA's mayor has done a great job at reshaping the cities image and attracting people to the city, much more than BR's mayor who in my opinion could do a much better job.

 

I say this because from what I have learned about Baton Rouge has a very rich history that if marketed correctly Baton Rouge could take on a different identity internationally. 

[Antrell Williams]

Oh yes I understand that, I was just saying that NOLA's mayor has done a great job at reshaping the cities image and attracting people to the city, much more than BR's mayor who in my opinion could do a much better job.

 

I say this because from what I have learned about Baton Rouge has a very rich history that if marketed correctly Baton Rouge could take on a different identity internationally. 

Baton Rouge has done a great job as well. We don't have an international identity, we have to start nationally first.

[Antrell Williams]

Transportation study to look at feasibility of streetcar line in Algiers

 

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/05/algiers_transit_study_to_exami.html#incart_most-comments

[Antrell Williams]

 

More good news out of Algiers!

Deep South Studios, a proposed $63.5 million movie campus in Algiers, moves forward

A movie producer with experience in Hollywood and the booming "Hollywood South" scene in Louisiana hopes to build a $63.5 million movie production campus in Algiers near the Crescent City Connection.

Scott Niemeyer of Gold Circle Films said Deep South Studios would be located on nearly 19 acres of land and offer five sound stages, two production buildings and other space for a total 262,000-square-foot facility. It would be the largest in the region with the nearest similarly sized studios in Atlanta and Albuquerque.

Deep South Studios will be a "state of the art motion picture back lot with the specifications and engineering that would be required by major motion picture studios to produce whether it be television, feature film or other digital content here in the city of New Orleans," Niemeyer said.

 

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/06/deep_south_studios_a_635_milli.html#comments

[Antrell Williams]

New Orleans RTA firm unveils $3.5 billion, 30-year transit expansion vision

 

eolia's concept of interconnected streetcar service Proposal Length Cost On St. Claude Avenue from Press Street to Poland Avenue 2 miles $62 million On St. Claude Avenue from Poland Avenue to Refinery Road 11.9 miles $226.6 million On Elysian Fields Avenue from St. Claude Avenue to Riverfront Line 1.2 miles $37.2 million On Elysian Fields Avenue from St. Claude Avenue to UNO 8.6 miles $266.6 million On South Carrollton Avenue from Canal Street to South Claiborne Avenue 3.6 miles $120 million On Loyola Avenue from Howard Avenue to Convention Center Boulevard and Riverfront Line 4.4 miles $130 million On Poydras Street from South Clairborne Avenue to Loyola Avenue 1.8 miles $62 million

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/07/new_orleans_rta_unveils_35_bil.html#incart_m-rpt-2

[itsjustme3]

This forum is dead. Who are you talking to?

[richyb83]

Thanks for the updates Antrell   Plenty of individuals here on UP post updates on what otherwise would be dead forums...from Albuquerque, Austin to Alabama. They keep the ball rolling & I enjoy reading them.... even though they get very limited or no feedback.

 

NOLA has been there &* done that being the South's largest/most dense urban cores since the late 1800's...so it makes sense few post here. However NOLA owning 9 of Louisiana's 10 Tallest Buildings...the Forums on other websites are plenty busy!

Edited July 23, 2014 by Antrell Williams
Competitor sites

[Mr. Burnham]

So coming back to the question of how in the hell New Orleans is not a major global city even though it really should be. What went wrong? When? How? Can it ever get back to that point? I know that practically since the city was founded it was a major city, and up until the 1860's it was just as important if not more then New York. After the war it seems that the city slowly fell and today its only a slightly major city that in a decade or so will be surpassed by the Baton Rouge Area. 

 

My guess is that the Civil War all but devastated the city's trade and impaired it from capitalizing on the industrial revolution and immigration booms that followed which so greatly contributed to New York's rise. Then it appears the city picked up steam in the 20's that lasted into post war period and then something in the 80's brought the city tumbling back down. Katrina impaired it and paved the way for Baton Rouge to overtake it. 

 

That's my guess, but I'm an outsider. What are your thoughts and insights on the cities decline?

[Antrell Williams]

So coming back to the question of how in the hell New Orleans is not a major global city even though it really should be. What went wrong? When? How? Can it ever get back to that point? I know that practically since the city was founded it was a major city, and up until the 1860's it was just as important if not more then New York. After the war it seems that the city slowly fell and today its only a slightly major city that in a decade or so will be surpassed by the Baton Rouge Area. 

 

My guess is that the Civil War all but devastated the city's trade and impaired it from capitalizing on the industrial revolution and immigration booms that followed which so greatly contributed to New York's rise. Then it appears the city picked up steam in the 20's that lasted into post war period and then something in the 80's brought the city tumbling back down. Katrina impaired it and paved the way for Baton Rouge to overtake it. 

 

That's my guess, but I'm an outsider. What are your thoughts and insights on the cities decline?

 

New Orleans will probably never be surpassed by Baton Rouge.

 

I don't think it was the war, but more the politics. You are aware of the fact that New Orleans was the second largest point of entry into the US, after New York, right? That's why it's culture is what it is, it's Italians, Africans, Caribbeans, etc all roll into one.

 

Katrina brought the city back to life, before, there was no notion of the things going on within the city of New Orleans. Now, it's growing and improving by the day.

 

When was the last time you've been to New Orleans? When was the first time? I ask that because it seems you aren't familiar with what's going on there.

At the pace New Orleans is going, Baton Rouge will always play second fiddle, especially on a global or cultural scale.

 

I don't have much insight on it's decline, that's in the past. I'm looking for it's bright future.

[Mr. Burnham]

New Orleans will probably never be surpassed by Baton Rouge.

 

I don't think it was the war, but more the politics. You are aware of the fact that New Orleans was the second largest point of entry into the US, after New York, right? That's why it's culture is what it is, it's Italians, Africans, Caribbeans, etc all roll into one.

 

Katrina brought the city back to life, before, there was no notion of the things going on within the city of New Orleans. Now, it's growing and improving by the day.

 

When was the last time you've been to New Orleans? When was the first time? I ask that because it seems you aren't familiar with what's going on there.

At the pace New Orleans is going, Baton Rouge will always play second fiddle, especially on a global or cultural scale.

 

I don't have much insight on it's decline, that's in the past. I'm looking for it's bright future.

The first time I visited was in 2011 and my last visit was in October. 

 

Do not get me wrong, I think New Orleans is improving and rebuilding well. The city looks a million times better in my last visit than it did in my first and that was a four year difference. And I am familiar with the fact New Orleans used to be the nations second city.  I just do not see it as being #1 in the state anymore. 

 

From what I have seen of this state I think it is in a period of transition.

 

The political transition is complete, EBR can now say it is the full political capital of the state and EBR has the biggest 'bulge' compared to the other parishes in Louisiana. Not to mention, BR natives now hold some very important positions in state politics and I don't see that changing. 

 

The next transition is a research transition. New Orleans from my understanding used to be the educational, medical, and research center of the state and at one point the south. While it still in some ways is the educational center, it is certainly not the medical and research center. Look at Baton Rouge who just got the water Campus and has the massive Health District? Both of those are massive centers and hubs for research and medicine, they are also centers that would have been in New Orleans not twenty years ago. Instead they are in Baton Rouge and both will only continue to grow and develop, this will affect Baton Rouges economic growth, population, and even visitors. Baton Rouge is becoming the states medical, educational, and research hub.

 

Tech is the next transition. Now Louisiana has a very poor tech infrastructure, but it is slightly improving and its hub is...Baton Rouge. With IBM, EA, and the LA Tech park, Baton Rouge is becoming 'Silicon Bayou' and while New Orleans may benefit from this it still does not have the tech pull that Baton Rouge has and will have in the future.

 

Population transition is a little more then finished at this point. The Capital Region includes the most populous parishes in the state and EBR Metro itself according to the most recent statistic is the most populated. This is a dramatic break from the past when New Orleans was (and still is, but barely) the most populated city in the state. Give BR twenty more years and its population will be nearing 300,000 and its metro will have broken 1 million, I have no doubt that the Capital Region will easily reach at least 1.5 million or 2 million possibly even a little more. This would make BR the population center for the state. 

 

Economically Baton Rouge is also a lot stronger and trends expect it to overtake NOLA. For the past two years Baton Rouge economic growth has exceeded New Orleans and with Baton Rouge diversifying its economy it will be a lot stronger too. New Orleans has a tourism economy, its airport is not expanding because of economic growth but because of tourism. Granted that does make the city more attractive, but Baton Rouge is attracting far more business than New Orleans on an annual basis.

 

Shipping will be a transition, but I do not see it happening right now. Baton Rouge is still smaller to NOLA compared to shipping and I see that as either being a rapid change or a slow one. All in all I think BR will eventually overtake New Orleans but it will be awhile. 

 

Now there are more transitions, but ultimately I can see Baton Rouge becoming the states #1 city and even one of the larger cities in the South within 10-20 years. New Orleans is getting better and will still be a big city, but I think Baton Rouge has too much in its favor to win in the end. That of course does not mean New Orleans will turn into a run-down place or even loose its grip on tourism, but I think it will become the second city. Not to mention New Orleans does not have much space to grow, it is surrounded by water and the coast is not getting any better. I think that is another reason the growth is hampered, there is no where too grow and a big risk to growing. 

 

Anyways those are my observations and they may be wrong and off, but I don't think you can deny that Baton Rouge will eventually be a major city. 

[Mr. Burnham]

I also want to add that the BR Capital Region which could includes the following parishes (depending on where you place Tangipahoa): East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee, Iberville, Ascension, Livingston, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, Washington, and Assumption has a combined population of 1.2 million while The New Orleans metro only has a population of 976,892. By 2030 that gap will be even larger with the New Orleans metro only be 842,540 strong while Baton Rouge's greater metro area will maintain its 1.2million figure. The population of EBR will go from 445,227 in 2015 to 421,500 in 2030 while Orleans will go from 378,714 in 2015 to 256,010. This is all according official state population records. So even today EBR and its region has overtaken New Orleans and is now equal in population to Atlanta (not metro). 

Edited December 26, 2014 by mr. bernham

[richyb83]

St.Tammany Parish (North Shore) is part of the New Orleans Metro area....

 

Washington Parish is part of the Bogalusa Micropolitan statistical area

 

Tangipahoa Parish is up for debate but New Orleans claims it...

 

BR has closed the gap...but NOLA is still the premier city in LA IMO...they are working on a nice health district as well...

 

In 2030 anything is possible...NOLA being basically built in a bowl doesn't bode well....instead of being BR's big brother they may be on a more equal partnership