NEW ORLEANS | Project/Development Thread

[dgpatel]

The cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service said Monday it is seeking to move quickly to close 252 mail processing centers and slow first-class delivery next spring, citing steadily declining mail volume. The cuts are part of $3 billion in reductions aimed at helping the agency avert bankruptcy next year. It would virtually eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day, a change in first-class delivery standards that have been in place since 1971.

In Louisiana, the processing centers in New Orleans and Lafayette are on the list of the postal facilities to be closed.

The plant closures are expected to result in the elimination of roughly 28,000 jobs nationwide.

LINK

[jowens]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Recladding in Indianapolis


Since each building is best-suited for a different market, I don't see why their redevelopments need to be mutually exclusive.

The finished version of this bldg. in Indy is very nice!

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by dgpatel

The cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service said Monday it is seeking to move quickly to close 252 mail processing centers and slow first-class delivery next spring, citing steadily declining mail volume. The cuts are part of $3 billion in reductions aimed at helping the agency avert bankruptcy next year. It would virtually eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day, a change in first-class delivery standards that have been in place since 1971.

In Louisiana, the processing centers in New Orleans and Lafayette are on the list of the postal facilities to be closed.

The plant closures are expected to result in the elimination of roughly 28,000 jobs nationwide.

LINK

Sucks for the US overall, but removing this awkward building will be a huge boon to any potential redevelopment of the UPT/Superdome area. They can extend Howard Avenue back to the arena and start to create a rudimentary grid of streets in that area.

[dgpatel]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Sucks for the US overall, but removing this awkward building will be a huge boon to any potential redevelopment of the UPT/Superdome area. They can extend Howard Avenue back to the arena and start to create a rudimentary grid of streets in that area.

Interesting thought, as it can become a wider street to route gameday traffic through...Does anyone have pictures of the area prior to the USPS distribution center?

Also, during last nights game I noticed the N.O. Center Parking Garage (is that still the name?) was lit up with some bright lights. Is this recent??

[tennis1400]

Why doesnt the USPS just close down all together? Its ridiculously archaic and many jobs are actually handled by Fed Ex and UPS to move things. Sorry to lose the jobs but they are going to go one way or another. I do agree that removal of the building could be helpful to restore a more gridlike pattern in that part of the city.BTW this is another death knell for NETFLIX too.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by dgpatel

Interesting thought, as it can become a wider street to route gameday traffic through...Does anyone have pictures of the area prior to the USPS distribution center?

Sure... although I'm very very skeptical of the need to have super-wide streets in our downtown area.

Only recognizable landmark is Charity Hospital. Important to note that there are no bridges or overpasses anywhere. The USPS building would be just south of the three white identical warehouses, near the green dot.

[tennis1400]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Sure... although I'm very very skeptical of the need to have super-wide streets in our downtown area.

Only recognizable landmark is Charity Hospital. Important to note that there are no bridges or overpasses anywhere. The USPS building would be just south of the three white identical warehouses, near the green dot.

I dont think the streets need to be wider just reconnecting th grid would be more than helpful for not just gamedays but general pedestrian activity as well.

[Blitzen]

Originally Posted by tennis1400

I dont think the streets need to be wider just reconnecting th grid would be more than helpful for not just gamedays but general pedestrian activity as well.

I agree, and I say that keeping in mind that sometime in the next 5-10 years I-10 over Claiborne Ave might not exist, and all of those flyover ramps will be gone, opening up ~8 blocks for development along Poydras Street on the other side of Claiborne from the Superdome.

These blocks are currently parking lots and storage yards. An integrated street-grid would be essential for any dense development, something that neighborhood next to the CBD/Superdome would warrant.

[polemic]

It's interesting looking at ardecila's image, and this map from 1908, that part of the city never really was a strong component of the city's grid. Just below the green dot was the turning basin for the New Basin Canal. Below that was the Illinois Central RR terminus at Union Station; above the green dot was the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley RR terminus. There doesn't look to have ever been a whole lot of pedestrian activity around there.

That map also shows how lucky we are to have City Park the size it is ...

[tennis1400]

new items on bidclerk:

1790997 New Orleans, LA Restaurant 12/07/2011
Description Site work and new construction of a restaurant in New Orleans. Completed working drawings call for the construction of a new restaurant building with kitchen/food prep area, dining area and office and storage space. General contractor bidding is ...Click here for complete Project Details


1627242 New Orleans, LA Clubhouse / Community Centers 12/06/2011
Description Site work and new construction of a community center in New Orleans. Completed working drawings call for the construction of a 2,083-square-foot cultural center which will include office space. This project will re-bid. Subcontractor bids are due...Click here for complete Project Details

Also the Hotel Modern and its restaurant /bars will be opening weekend after this one.
http://nola.eater.com/archives/2011/...to-opening.php

And there is ULI tour of The Saint Hotel on monday. Id go if I wasnt in Nashville. Didnt realize the hotel is part of the Marriot group.
https://netforum.uli.org/eweb/Dynami...h=EventRegFees

Also these are the items on the CBDHDLC Schedule today:

II. New Business

a. 533 Baronne Street: Brian Gibbs, owner; Eskew Dumez Ripple Architects, applicant. Proposal to renovate building including: closure of multiple existing window and door openings on all four elevations; installation one new door opening at the NW corner of the building.

b. 411 Natchez Street: Greg Cummings, applicant; Darren M. Rozas, applicant. Proposal to construct new single family residence.

c. 615 Canal Street: John Sallas, owner/applicant. Proposal to alter existing storefront.

d. 924 Canal Street: Shadhzad Khan, owner; LKHarmon Architects, applicant. Proposal to renovate structure, install new storefront, one story gallery and balcony on the third floor

e. 749 St. Charles Avenue: Edward Lepre, owner; Richard Choate, applicant. Proposal to demolish newer portion of building and construct 6-story building with a 4- story gallery and alterations to existing storefront of remaining portion of building.

f. 866 Tchoupitoulas Street: Joel Chaisson, owner/applicant. Proposal to add gallery to building.

Heres a link to new restaurant that opened on the corner of Julia and Fulton Street called Root:
http://rootnola.com/index.html

[New project.] 1615180 New Orleans, LA Retail 12/07/2011
Description Site work and new construction of a regional chain retail development in New Orleans. Schematic design plans call for the construction a 53,000-square-foot grocery store. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2012....Click here for complete Project Details

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by polemic

It's interesting looking at ardecila's image, and this map from 1908, that part of the city never really was a strong component of the city's grid. Just below the green dot was the turning basin for the New Basin Canal. Below that was the Illinois Central RR terminus at Union Station; above the green dot was the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley RR terminus. There doesn't look to have ever been a whole lot of pedestrian activity around there.

In the image, you can see the stub end of the New Basin Canal on the left side of the picture. The image dates to 1946, after the turning basin had been closed in 1938. You can see, only 8 years after the basin was removed, an impromptu street grid had already popped up to reconnect the city.

You're right that the Superdome site was industrial, but I daresay that an active industrial district provides far more gainful employment and economic activity than an NFL stadium. NOLA's problem is definitely not a lack of civic spirit, it's a lack of jobs. By the 1960s, though, much of the industry in New Orleans was tired of crappy streets and traffic, so it decamped to the Industrial Canal area, the West Bank, or Harahan - or just closed shop altogether.

Do note the 9 blocks of finely-scaled neighborhood that exist on the current site of the Civic Center, and the similar-looking blocks that exist just to the east of the long white warehouses. This was not only a thriving pedestrian neighborhood but also a culturally-important one, containing numerous jazz clubs, Louis Armstrong's boyhood home at Liberty/Perdido, and even a Chinatown. Only one of the hundreds of Chinatown buildings still exists, sandwiched between The Saratoga and Ampersand, generally looking like a demolition candidate or a promising site for a cafe.

[polemic]

Originally Posted by ardecila

In the image, you can see the stub end of the New Basin Canal on the left side of the picture. The image dates to 1946, after the turning basin had been closed in 1938. You can see, only 8 years after the basin was removed, an impromptu street grid had already popped up to reconnect the city.

You're right that the Superdome site was industrial, but I daresay that an active industrial district provides far more gainful employment and economic activity than an NFL stadium. NOLA's problem is definitely not a lack of civic spirit, it's a lack of jobs. By the 1960s, though, much of the industry in New Orleans was tired of crappy streets and traffic, so it decamped to the Industrial Canal area, the West Bank, or Harahan - or just closed shop altogether.

Do note the 9 blocks of finely-scaled neighborhood that exist on the current site of the Civic Center, and the similar-looking blocks that exist just to the east of the long white warehouses. This was not only a thriving pedestrian neighborhood but also a culturally-important one, containing numerous jazz clubs, Louis Armstrong's boyhood home at Liberty/Perdido, and even a Chinatown. Only one of the hundreds of Chinatown buildings still exists, sandwiched between The Saratoga and Ampersand, generally looking like a demolition candidate or a promising site for a cafe.

Very interesting. I definitely agree with you, both as far as the loss of industry in New Orleans and the loss of the Back O'Town neighborhood. I had no idea that there was once a Chinatown in that neighborhood -- such a shame it's gone. It was also interesting to see that Loyola Ave. was not part of the original grid, which I guess I should have realized, given that both Loyola Ave and Simon Bolivar seem so out of place.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by polemic

I had no idea that there was once a Chinatown in that neighborhood -- such a shame it's gone. It was also interesting to see that Loyola Ave. was not part of the original grid, which I guess I should have realized, given that both Loyola Ave and Simon Bolivar seem so out of place.

Yeah, it's a poorly documented part of New Orleans history. Since there are literally no remnants of this neighborhood (other than the tiny, insignificant building I mentioned above) it's very easy to forget about. Urban-renewal planners targeted this area because the land values were low and it was close to the train station. Now you'd be hard-pressed to find a decent box of fried rice (or any other type of food establishment).

Loyola was part of the original grid. It just wasn't a huge boulevard.

Late 1950s. If you connect the two sides of Loyola across the S-curve, you can make out the original street.

[Blitzen]

Since this is a "forum to report & discuss highrise & other urban developments occurring in your city", I wanted to mention something that will be debated over the coming new year.

With the CCC bridge being paid off, the tolls are set to expire at the end of next year. The legislature has to make the decision to renew or not, keeping in mind that the ferry service is subsidized by the bridge tolls.

With my love of boats and bridges, you might think I would be in favor of this, but the opposite is true. I believe subsidizing the ferries and bridges is subsidizing urban sprawl. I don't want to pay for people to live on the Westbank and other places, and have them commute to the CBD for work. If the gasoline tax can't pay for the bridge, or the price of the ferry ticket can't cover the cost, raise it and stop making the ordinary city-dwelling taxpayer pay for it out of the general fund. Otherwise I want them living in the city close to where they work. It's more fair, efficient, environmentally friendly, and costs me a lot less money as a taxpayer. I hope the tolls expire, and the ferries are either privatized (which means higher prices, but no tax subsidies) or eliminated all together.

As a city-dweller, I'm against paying for urban sprawl.
___________________________________________________________________________________

On another note, Tulane is announcing the details tomorrow for on-campus stadium plans!
http://www.nola.com/tulane/index.ssf...plans_for.html

The stadium is expected to seat 30,000-plus fans with the ability to expand down the line if needed.

[tennis1400]

I am for the taxes expiring but I dont see how that would discourage urban sprawl? In fact it would be the opposite since its now cheaper to commute without a toll.

[buckett5425]

[QUOTE=Blitzen;5508887]Since this is a "forum to report & discuss highrise & other urban developments occurring in your city", I wanted to mention something that will be debated over the coming new year.

With the CCC bridge being paid off, the tolls are set to expire at the end of next year. The legislature has to make the decision to renew or not, keeping in mind that the ferry service is subsidized by the bridge tolls.

With my love of boats and bridges, you might think I would be in favor of this, but the opposite is true. I believe subsidizing the ferries and bridges is subsidizing urban sprawl. I don't want to pay for people to live on the Westbank and other places, and have them commute to the CBD for work. If the gasoline tax can't pay for the bridge, or the price of the ferry ticket can't cover the cost, raise it and stop making the ordinary city-dwelling taxpayer pay for it out of the general fund. Otherwise I want them living in the city close to where they work. It's more fair, efficient, environmentally friendly, and costs me a lot less money as a taxpayer. I hope the tolls expire, and the ferries are either privatized (which means higher prices, but no tax subsidies) or eliminated all together.

As a city-dweller, I'm against paying for urban sprawl.
___________________________________________________________________________________
I agree with you Blitzen, but the tolls on the bridge also serve as a slight inhibitor to suburban sprawl. The ferries do little to move mass populations across the river, out of the city and into the suburbans. If anything the ferries perform a vital service, allowing pedestrians to cross the river without the need of owning a car to cross the CCC. Most the of the traffic travels over the CCC and with there being no toll left, living across the river just got cheaper and easier. I say lets keep the toll. It will help pay for future bridge maintenance and reduce suburban sprawl by not making it cheaper to live on the west bank.

Also, I am slightly confused. You suggest that the local tax payers foot the bill for the bridge, but as I understand it, the bridge is paid for by those who use it everyday, not by local tax payers.

[Blitzen]

Originally Posted by tennis1400

I am for the taxes expiring but I dont see how that would discourage urban sprawl? In fact it would be the opposite since its now cheaper to commute without a toll.

I guess I should have elaborated on my point better - If the tolls expire, the state is saying it must pay for maintenance/security out of the general gasoline tax, that would either have to be raised, or have roads elsewhere go less maintained. Instead of paying a dollar (or $0.40 with a tolltag) to cross the bridge, commuters in general will (and should) pay more the further they drive, through a gasoline tax.

For Buckett's point about pedestrians, there are many bus routes that cross the river. And that sort of mass transportation is definitely more cost efficient than a ferry, and should be encouraged.

About urban sprawl, only $0.16 for every dollar tolled goes to the bridge for maintenance, the rest goes to other road projects on the WB (supposedly). Those funds get matched with more federal funds (which I'm against too, because it encourages sprawl off and comes from the pocketbooks of the urban dwellers) and leads to more highways, more traffic, more suburbs, more sprawl. The tolls are being used as a sprawl building tool.

To me, the benefits don't outweigh the cost. I'd rather see more urban developments like 1031Canal and the South Market District popping up!

[ardecila]

It's not an either/or. People looking for a suburban house probably don't want a downtown condo, a small Mid-City shotgun, or an expensive Uptown house.

I have the opposite opinion; I think the city should actively push for the development of the huge unused acres of English Turn, with traditional sprawling suburban development (or New Urbanist) and start attracting some of the people who are currently moving to Covington. The land is already levee-protected and the city needs the tax revenue. Why not work both ends and redevelop downtown while also sensibly expanding the suburbs?

[Chris from N.O.]

Originally Posted by ardecila

It's not an either/or. People looking for a suburban house probably don't want a downtown condo, a small Mid-City shotgun, or an expensive Uptown house.

I have the opposite opinion; I think the city should actively push for the development of the huge unused acres of English Turn, with traditional sprawling suburban development (or New Urbanist) and start attracting some of the people who are currently moving to Covington. The land is already levee-protected and the city needs the tax revenue. Why not work both ends and redevelop downtown while also sensibly expanding the suburbs?

Hi. Grew up in Algiers, so have a few things to say...

First, not sure where I stand on the tolls. When I was in high school and sitting in the line for half an hour every day to cross the bridge, you can bet I was tired of having the tolls. One thing to mention is that I believe a large portion of the toll revenue goes to projects other than the ferry, so it's actually the toll payers, most of whom live on the West Bank, who are subsidizing many other projects.

I always knew the English Turn area as "Lower Coast Algiers". English turn was originally planned to be two identical communities on either side of English Turn Pkwy. The neighborhood has been around more than 20 years now and is not even close to filling the one half of the project that actually materialized. There is a very small subdivision on the other side of the parkway now- "The Arbors". Not sure who owns it, but the point is that most of that tract is privately owned. Lots of houses on acreage in the rest- you'll even see cows along Patterson (River. Rd)- and then the ACRES site takes up a lot of space. There really just isn't that much room over there and it would be tough to build infrastructure with a giant planned community already smack-dab in the middle of the space.

[Chris from N.O.]

Also, why is nobody talking about the stadium?

http://www.nola.com/tulane/index.ssf...e_plans_f.html