New Orleans Development Thread

[jeffschwartz]

Just a note--those aren't state grants for 930 Poydras, the former Sewell building, and the other projects; they're bonds, floated by the Industrial Development Board. I'm happy to hear about all those projects--especially the 930 Poydras development going forward (yes to apartment, not just condos!) and the Sewell conversion. A grocery is a great amenity, especially when there is 40,000 sq. ft. on a floorplate. There could be living above, which is great, and since it is on a transit line, there should be lower parking requirements.

However, I don't know about the conversion of 2400 Canal; if the building is going to be preserved (as it should), why not try to incorporate it into the hospital complex as medical offices or incubator space? I think it is a little questionable that Burgos is going to be directly benefitting from this process, and nurses' housing seems kind of ridiculous in a modernist/international school office building. But maybe I'll be proved wrong...

[sgray]

What is this Gibbs Construction project on Tulane? There's another one just off Tulane and Carrolton. They're large projects with banners around them proclaiming "The Rebuilding of Tulane Avenue, Live, Work, Play, Shop". I couldn't find any information on Gibbs' web site. There appears to be a lot going on on Tulane with the Cancer Research Center going up on Tulane and South Claiborne and the rebuilding of Judicial Complex at Tulane and Broad, and others. This was a very drab, run down thoroughfare in dire need of improvements.

[fla_tiger]

Could this be the location of one of The Domain Companies massive projects?, maybe .............

The Preserve

In a mid-town neighborhood near the Central Business District the 183-unit Preserve will replace a plant where Crystal Hot Sauce, a staple of Cajun cooking, used to be bottled........

courtesey:domain cos

[tennis1400]

I believe it is one of their projects! I know they are doing several in that area! Should be a much better area of town when all is said and done!

Cheers,

Derek

Also, good to see the DMV on Veterans and West End has received its FEMA money and will be rebuilt! I miss the convenience of that place!

[jeffschwartz]

That is absolutely one of the Domain Cos. Projects; it's the Crescent Club, on the former Crescent City Motors site, and it is slated to have 228 units. The Domain Cos. are doing great stuff; if only the city could reciprocate with some vision for the rest of the Tulane Avenue corridor...

[blackcoat]

The Times-Picayune has a short article about rent-controlled apartments in Treme that should be completed later this year. We also have new information from ORDA about recovery projects in New Orleans.

Update: CityBusiness also has an article about the Treme apartment conversion.

Edited February 29, 2008 by blackcoat

[JPKneworleans]

The Times-Picayune has a short article about rent-controlled apartments in Treme that should be completed later this year. We also have new information from ORDA about recovery projects in New Orleans.

Update: CityBusiness also has an article about the Treme apartment conversion.

This is very good news. It is further evidence of efforts to bring back parts of the city core that were not doing as well as they should. Tulane Avenue is also great news. It will be great to see that Falstaff sign lit up.

[NCB]

A few months back we had all been talking about the continued development of Fulton Street in the CBD, and it now looks like a New Orleans restaurant legend could soon be opening a new location on Fulton Street.

Ruth

[blackcoat]

The Times-Picayune is running a brief article about proposed housing in Central City. Real-estate developers and religious groups are working together to build 178 homes (rent-to-own ?) by 2009.

* EDIT: re-linked to the longer version of the article.

Edited March 8, 2008 by blackcoat

[sgray]

Plan to develop a 3 mile corridor from Armstrong Park to City Park. Sounds great, however, I couldn't access the website for a visual plan.

[tennis1400]

Worked for me! the website link citybusiness gave was wrong!

[sgray]

What is it? "www.folc-neworleans.org" does not work

[blackcoat]

It looks like CityBusiness has the wrong domain name. http://www.folc-nola.org/ seems to be the right place.

[sgray]

Office occupancy rates in the CBD are at 91%. This is great news. Maybe time for some new office high-rises? link

[djp4lsu]

Office occupancy rates in the CBD are at 91%. This is great news. Maybe time for some new office high-rises? link

That is good news! But, I hope that these jobs are here to stay, not just here until the recovery process plays out. Hopefully in 10 years or so, it'll still be like this. If not so many engineering and other recovery-related jobs, maybe the economy will be strong enough to support other kids of business. I'd love to see some new office towers to go with the condo towers, but I would think that the economy would need to stabilize a little before that would happen. But, I wouldn't mind being wrong about that.

[JPKneworleans]

For the most part, the buildings that did not reopen were in poor shape to begin with and were not Class A, e.g., 225 Baronne. As for the former Dominion Tower, it seems to me that there is leasing going on. I have noticed more and more lights on in the building at night.

Work is also ongoing at the Plaza Tower. Asbestos and mold remediation is underway, which should make it a lot easier to sell or convert to alternate use. The floor plates are ideal for hotel or residential because they are so small. The upper floors were originally designed to be apartments, but that never worked out.

[tennis1400]

I doubt you will see a large pure office tower built in New Orleans anytime soon! It seems multi-use is the way to go! Which is fine with me because office towers are too deolate after 5 and on weekends to support the kind of 24 hour community we are trying to create downtown! Multiuse seems to create the best of both worlds!

[nola17]

Hey guys. Ive been gone for a while (internet was out for like 3 weeks). So can someone give me a quick recap??? I haven't heard what happened with the Renaissance Town Center and other projects. I did hear about the Nike Factory Shoe store coming to mid-city and another residential building along Tulane...

Please and Thank You....

[rcp11889]

Where is this new residential building on Tulane?

[sgray]

There's a couple of posts on this forum from Feb. 27th about the Tulane Ave. project(s).

[sgray]

I couldn't find a link but there's a piece in the Money Section in today's T-P about applications being made for tax-exempt bonds for;

high rise apartments at 930 Poydras

Robert's grocery on Canal at Carrollton and

Carrollton Shopping Center on South Carrollton

All of these are notable, especially the first two, in my opinion. Robert's is long overdue for rebuilding. It's the biggest eye sore right on the corner of the Canal and Carrollton street car lines with the likes of Mandina's and Venezia's restaurants nicely restored in the immediate neighborhood. A fresh new up-scale grocery there will be great.

[djp4lsu]

I couldn't find a link but there's a piece in the Money Section in today's T-P about applications being made for tax-exempt bonds for;

high rise apartments at 930 Poydras

Robert's grocery on Canal at Carrollton and

Carrollton Shopping Center on South Carrollton

All of these are notable, especially the first two, in my opinion. Robert's is long overdue for rebuilding. It's the biggest eye sore right on the corner of the Canal and Carrollton street car lines with the likes of Mandina's and Venezia's restaurants nicely restored in the immediate neighborhood. A fresh new up-scale grocery there will be great.

Here's the link: http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03...nue_is_com.html

As far as the Carrollton Shopping Center, the article mentions that a bookstore, pet shop, and office supply store are going to be built there. I'm guessing Barnes and Noble, Petsmart, and Office Depot. It will be nice not to have to go to Jefferson Parish for places like this.

[NCB]

New Orleans leads the state in job growth, adding 17,000 jobs between January 2007 and January 2008.

Report shows strong job growth in New Orleans area

The New Orleans area led the way in job growth to start the new year.

The State Labor Department reports Louisiana continued to buck the trend as a cloudy economic picture hangs over the nation.

The unemployment rate stayed the same in January as December at four percent, despite losing thousands of seasonal postions, the New Orleans area added 17,000 more jobs than during the same time last year.

State wide, there were over 51,000 more jobs than in January of 2007.

http://wwl.com/pages/1819914.php

[nola17]

I found this article about the Carrollton Ave. corridor. Its very impressive the work thats gone into the business. I think with the Carrollton Shopping Center comeback, the housing complexes surrounding Tulane Ave. and other projects, this could be the retail heart of Mid-City and beyond.

Edited March 16, 2008 by nola17

[NCB]

I'm extremely happy to see the resurgence of the Carrollton Avenue corridor and the entire Mid-City neighborhood. I drove through Mid-City in early October of '05, and it was a complete wasteland. That was the first part of New Orleans that I really saw extensively after Katrina, and it looked terrible to say the least. To see how it looks now, with a FEMA trailer or vacant house every few blocks being the only reminders of Katrina in that neighborhood, is something special.

Here's a link to the Times-Picayune's map of businesses, new and old, along upper Carrollton Avenue:

http://blog.nola.com/news_impact/2008/03/U...etail%23664.pdf