Here, Councilmember Green, Councilmember Hughes.

We do not have a quorum, but we can go to item number three, a presentation on the administration's economic development priorities and special projects by Dr.

Jenny Mains, the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, and Jeff Schwartz, the director of Office of Housing and Community Development.

Thank you so much.

Dr.

Maines, it's a pleasure to have you before the Economic Development Committee.

To the members of the public, we wanted this to be sort of an introductory meeting for Dr.

Mains to share her vision for the Office of Economic Development and all the different departments and leaders who report to Dr.

Maines.

We'll get an overview of some of the bigger economic development projects going on in the city right now.

And we'll receive that update from Mr.

Schwartz.

So Dr.

Mains, at this time, the floor is yours.

Good morning, and thank you so much for having me here.

Whenever I got the news, I was very excited to come here and present what the administration has for this 100 day 100, at least the first 100 days, and then moving forward.

Like it would say, I'm Jenny Maines, and I'm here with part of my group, and also behind we have three, if they can stand up.

We have Bruda, Margaret, and Andrew.

They're a part of our economic development group.

And we are grateful.

Well, I'm grateful for them, and because they have been so great to this specific economic development project.

So we are the face right here, but behind us is a group of people that are working every day.

So it has been they've been working on the back in silence, but I want to recognize them and their work that they have done for the city of New Orleans.

So thank you very much to all of them.

Today we're gonna walk through what we are structuring in economic development.

I have met with some of the council members, and I am working to meet with the rest so we can have a one-on-one and see um specifically in each district, how can we partner up and work together on what they have heard from their district and how we can work together to build economic development in each district.

So to start with the presentation, umic development under this administration is structured with deputy mayors.

In this case, I would go um the first is the people of New Orleans, then is the mayor, and in my department for the deputy mayor of economic development, I oversee seven seven different um seven different departments.

Office of economic development, director of house, I mean I'm sorry, housing and community development, workforce development, and cultural economy film, supply diversity, and night economy.

That's what my um my office oversees and it actually does um comes together with what it is economic development, as we can see in order for economic development to succeed, we need um our community development housing.

We need our workforce, and that's something that it has been one of the targets for the 100 days to keep building our ecosystem around economic development, and along with the other departments.

So if we go if we continue to the next slide.

Um a little bit about me.

I was appointed by the mayor in 20 January 2026.

It feels like a year already.

It has we have started um this journey into um coming in and developing this economic for the city of New Orleans.

Um that's my role, this whole portfolio that I shared previously, and we are focused on coordinating an execution-driven um strategies.

And if we move on into what's our mission, the mission that we have is to drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth, the strength of this neighborhood, support businesses, and expands opportunity across New Orleans.

Um equity and execution are not competing goals.

It's they must work together in order for us to move forward with our city.

And our mission is economic development for all areas from New Orleans East to Algiers, um, and Savalize downtown and protecting our cultural economy as well.

So moving on to the next slide.

Our core role, what it is in the 100 day plans is the major uh major protective coordination, business recruitment and retention that we have already started, and we are creating a group that can go out and because normally um economic development we always think about okay, who are we gonna bring from the outside, like what other big company?

But we are also trying to focus on what about the ones that stayed, the ones that didn't went to another parish or the ones that didn't went to another state.

So we are having we are working to put a group together so that we can reach out to the ones that stay and see how can we help so that they can stay in business and and thrive.

Um another core core core role is initiative and deal of the structuring.

Public-private partnership, it's another one that um that in it it's needed in order to bring economic development in our city.

How how can we connect with the private sector and together um bring business retention and also continue with what what's the plan for our economic development?

Intergovernmental alignment as well, how can we just together work together commercial corridor, um, that reliability?

We have a lot going on on that that uh we're very excited on the east, and um that I will explain shortly how how are we gonna how we plan to um to do that?

And moving on to the next one, our administration, our first 100 days.

So our first 100 days is to restore economic competence that we have from what we have heard that it has that was one of the well that was one of the main concerns that the trust wasn't there anymore.

So, how can we come together and uh restore that trust, improve permitting and um I think that's something that is that it's big, but we are working since day one, working with Microsoft, how we can help with the permitting so that our businesses can get permit and get their businesses open.

Activate our priority redevelopment projects, the ones that have been for previous years that were just steady, how can we reactivate them?

How can we go back and see where where and why it was stopped and how we can work together if um to do that?

Strength workforce and youth pathways, that's something that um is very close to the mayor's heart and also my heart.

The youth, the youth program, the summer youth program, which we actually just left the meeting on that.

It's um how can we get the youth to work during the summer?

Um, not only to work but to have a meaningful um job that they can bring in income.

A lot of the youth where they live in the household is are either single parents.

So how can they how can we prepare them before they're finish high school so that they can be ready for the workforce once they finish high school?

So this summer youth program is we're gonna cover 2,000 youth um for this summer, and hopefully next year we can start incrementing those numbers.

Just make sure we have the funds and we pay them on time.

Yes, that was one of the but we are we are making sure we are having weekly meetings to make sure that this summer um they're getting paid.

We do have the fundings already, but now how can how can how can we learn from what we did in the past to it for it to be better this year?

So we are working on that.

And launching the business retention and recruitment council, that's what I spoke earlier.

That we're working on that.

We are not finalized on it, but we are expecting to finalize that on the first 100 days.

Um advanced sport strategy.

That that council, will that be uh a team that that you assemble the mayor assembles?

The mayor.

So it will be we are trying our um we're trying to put for it to have 10 seats every year from different sectors because economic development looks different to different people and different sectors.

So it would be right now for what prepare we're preparing for is to have 10 10 seats and then um get the feedback and see how we can partner and and start that economic development.

And how can if they hear of somebody struggling business wise, how can we as a city go so that we can prevent from them closing down or moving to another state or parish?

I think it'd be a good idea to have somebody from the council involved on that, uh and maybe even somebody from the New Orleans legislative delegation.

Okay, thank you so much.

We'll put we'll add that.

Um the best part of strategy and move city-owned properties into commerce.

That's something that we believe that it's gonna be um a huge impact in our economic development.

See what properties do we have that we can that we can offer to businesses to create businesses to create revenue instead of uh of being an expense for the city.

Are we working on kind of like a consolidated list of those properties that we can you know kind of shop around to developers looking to do business in New Orleans?

Yes, we are in the have a meeting on Thursday, on Thursday, to kind of identify at least top 25 um properties.

Okay.

Early actions, what we have done so far um since January.

The NSA campus, um, which Jeff would um go, but um that was something that I walked in, and uh the more I read it, it it was it was just such a wonderful um program and a one uh a wonderful uh uh progress for the city.

Um the Rouse supermarket when when Dixie shut down, um Rouse has opened up.

So a lot of people might debate and say it wasn't a new um supermarket, but it could have been a place that it was closed and not have another supermarket.

So we were very excited about that.

The tour Shakespeare campus that um we also walked in and and they they did groundbreaking on that, and it's gonna be for senior affordable housing.

So uh very excited about that.

Summer youth program employment, like I share earlier.

Uh we're doing 2000, I think it's gonna be a little bit two thousand, a little bit over two thousand after um this meeting we had this morning with you youth force no NOLA.

Um, the other project was the Mercy Hospital that the CEA was um was actually um done during last last couple of weeks.

Yes, yeah, and the West End project that that was in the first month, and we're very excited to continue to hopefully move forward on that.

But it is a win for us getting everybody at the table and agreeing on that.

Thank you, Dr.

Maynes.

Uh Jeff, are you gonna pick up to go through some of these projects?

Absolutely.

And and uh please stop me at the end.

Jeff one second.

Any questions for Dr.

Maynes?

Yes.

Before we do that, can we can we pick up uh go back and order business to approve the meeting minutes?

Of course, Councilmember Hughes is present, so we can go to item number two and approve the meeting minutes of August 12th, 2025.

Bree A's is approved.

Thank you.

Okay, who was first?

Councilmember Harris.

Thank you, and I'm I'm just a guest to this meeting, but economic development is near and dear to my heart, and there's a lot of projects happening in district B.

Um, I do want to talk about the city-owned properties, uh, moving them back into commerce.

What is the strategy that you're following, or what framework do you have for getting these city-owned properties back into commerce?

So we don't have right now uh really established uh framework.

The initial step is finding out how many properties or at least identify 25 properties, and once we have at least um a start line, then we're gonna we can see where they're located on the zoning, and then we can distribute them by group them, sort of speaking, by zoning to see what kind of businesses can be presented to.

Are you using NORA or Finance New Orleans in order to move these properties or you don't know yet?

Um and I think the building corporation as well.

So Nobek, NORA, and Finance will all be involved in moving these city owned properties.

Um I know we'll get into Mercy.

I do want to talk about the CEA.

Where are we on charity?

Because I don't see this on the slide deck.

Can we get all the council member Harris?

Hold if you have special project questions, there's seven in the next two slides.

So let's just hold those questions for after Jeff does his presentation on those, if that's okay.

Okay.

Councilmember Hughes.

Uh uh, thank you, Chairman.

Well, I do have specific questions, so if it's your pleasure for me to wait, uh wait.

Um my question's an economic development focused, but if if Jeff and Dr.

Maynes are working hand in hand, I'm not really sure who's all first in terms of economic development.

So I'll apologize.

So Jeff is about to go through uh Mercy Hospital, the NSA campus, River District, Lake Force, Plaza Mall, Charity, Municipal Auditorium, and the Plaza Tower.

So I thought it would make more sense for us to ask our questions after he did a presentation on those projects.

Okay.

Oh, wait.

Did you it?

Councilmember McCairn.

My question was on uh workforce development.

I know that we're we're doing the youth force summer jobs, but um workforce development is something that I've talked about during the campaign, and I know that the Marino administration wants to work on that as well.

Um what what other programs is that office gonna be doing besides youth workforce development?

What are we doing for um other people that maybe are in the city that need jobs or creating some kind of pathway or pipeline to maybe city workforce since we are trying to hire electricians and people that can do the construction and the road paving?

Um is that office gonna be sort of responsible for making those connections and building out workforce development strategy?

Yes, and I think um Courtney can speak more on that.

Absolutely.

So the Office of Workforce Development manages um the workforce innovation opportunity grant from the federal government.

Um and with those dollars, they deploy what are called opportunity centers for jobs.

So um the main one is job one, um, and that's located at the Myrtle Banks building.

Um, and they have over 30 um uh folks who connect regularly um with people who are seeking jobs, they do case management, they offer um some training, they have connections with um certification programs at Delgado and other uh certification providers across the city, depending on what the industry is.

I mean, there's also some um incentives for employers.

So if you employ somebody through one of these um opportunity centers, then you can get a stipend for um you know some of their salary um for the first few months of their employment.

And what about working with our unions here to help kind of boost some of these pipelines?

Specifically, if we're trying to hire electricians, you know, Office of Workforce Development should be working hand in hand with IBEW.

Uh that is great.

Um, and I I think that um, you know, I'm not sure exactly where unions have fit in with the strategy from the Office of Workforce Development in the past, but it's something we'll certainly be looking for.

Great, and I'm happy to partner with some of that too.

Yeah, Councilmember McCairn, uh perhaps we need to broker that meeting and facilitate that process.

I think it's a great idea.

Um at this time we'll move over to you, Mr.

Schwartz.

You want to get into your presentation?

Uh gladly, and uh thank thank you, Council members.

Thank you for coming back.

It's it might my pleasure.

Happy, happy to be here and uh really looking forward to working with with the council.

Um these projects, so uh to address uh councilmember Hughes's question, uh Dr.

Maines is the deputy mayor of economic development.

Um, as you can see in my title, I'm supporting on some of these larger special projects as well.

Um, and so I think that's that might help provide a little bit of clarity on on uh the delineation of roles and responsibilities.

Um and again, please please uh feel free to interrupt.

Uh we can make this more of an uh interactive uh session on these uh different projects.

Um starting out with with Mercy Hospital.

Um, and actually before I even jump into it, I think one of the things I want to emphasize is that uh I think there's a level of urgency with the Marino administration that uh I personally have already felt.

I think we've all felt um uh with Jenny and the mayor's leadership around uh jumpstarting projects and a lot of the projects that we're talking about today.

It's not a surprise to anybody here or in the audience uh that a lot of these projects have been sitting here vacant employed since Katrina at the least.

Um, some of them even in prior to that.

And so I think having a renewed sense of urgency and figuring out how we can get these projects started.

What are the catalytic investments that the city frankly needs to make at this point if we want to see good projects happen?

Um, and figuring out you know all the ways to make sure that there's robust community engagement and uh making sure that the impacts, the job creation, the housing units, the resilience benefits, all of those things happen.

Um that is uh I think all at the forefront of all of our minds as we we push these these projects forward.

Um so uh beginning with with the former Mercy Hospital, um that site uh infamously was was shuttered in Katrina, and uh it for some reason has a basement uh that is proven to be a nuisance um uh probably even prior to its shuttering, but uh every major rainfall event uh that basement would flood.

Um and uh it has created just a huge eyesore in the community that I don't think anybody here in the audience uh or on the dais uh uh needs any additional background on.

Uh that project originally was owned by St.

Margaret's.

Um Mr.

Yeager was uh a 50-50 partner with St.

Margaret's after some time.

Um and originally there were plans to redevelop that site into a hospital.

And once the UMC VA complex was developed, I think we all remember the turmoil post-Catrina.

Um once the dust had settled, and it was very clear that that was going to be a hospital complex in in lower mid-city uh between canal and and Tulane, uh, the site sort of uh uh became an albatross, and there was no immediate uh concept for how to revitalize it.

Umrigally the plan was to partner with St.

Margaret's um for both Mr.

Yeager and then subsequently uh the Woodward uh investments team, uh which bought out Mr.

Yeager's position and is partnered uh currently with St.

Margaret's to do uh supportive housing or senior housing or explore some kind of multifamily project there.

Um and unfortunately, because of some uh environmental issues uh related to uh the basement and the floodplain, um, they were not able to uh successfully go down a path with HUD in order to secure um really critical HUD financing.

And so um that has taken many years for that process to run its course, and so um the developers, which again is now uh primarily uh Woodward, um, is in a position to do a transformative mixed use, mixed uh income uh project at the site that will include several hundred, about approximately two hundred units of housing, uh uh currently slated to have uh about five percent, maybe ten percent of those to be affordable, um, to have ground floor retail and then office space, as well as ground floor parking and uh and a sort of uh piazza or like uh open space that will be an amenity.

Um and um what is uh incredibly exciting about this project is that um it is going to have uh potentially a very large drainage project in the basement.

So instead of pulling this old uh uh basement out of the ground floor of the building or below grade uh portion of the building, um the Woodward team is uh proposed a solution where they can actually um uh create a uh up to four million gallon water retention project.

And what's so exciting about it is that it is the first time to my knowledge in the city where at this scale there's a um uh piece of public infrastructure that will effectively be built on on private property, and it will help with the uh you know, frankly, really disruptive flooding that happens along Norman Norman C.

Francis Parkway that we all see, you know, in a 10-year uh storm event and worse.

And so we're as Jenny noted, we're still working through the final stages of that CEA and lease.

At the point uh that I think probably in the next two or three weeks, we'll have uh I think a version that will be able to be shared with council.

Um I know that as Jenny stated, uh, in the in the first hundred days, uh the administration really really wants to make progress towards getting that building demolished and getting the commitments that the project will need to get it to a financial closing later this year.

And so the idea would be to do demolition um in advance of of that closing happening probably in the fall.

Um the CEA is related to the drainage component.

Correct.

And so you all will see in there's a there's a public funding commitment.

So the city's role, um, there's a couple of different roles, but the city will be uh investing in the project.

We're effectively again building a public piece of drainage infrastructure um that is in the bond issuance that was approved by voters, um, uh and that you know theoretically will be sold uh in the coming months.

I believe that's about 11 million point five million, that's correct.

Yep.

And uh and it's in both the drainage bucket.

So there were two different bond issuances that were approved by voters last November.

Um six million is in the drainage bucket and five and a half million is in the infrastructure bucket, and that's just balancing you know some of the different scopes of work and and not drawing too heavily in one of those uh bond buckets.

Um do you know if the uh location will be on the property tax rules?

It will be, absolutely.

So, yes, the the great news is that this will go from a blighted and vacant property that's minimally assessed or appraised uh to being one that will be uh I believe the last numbers I saw is it's a 100 million dollar plus project.

So um getting that back on the tax rules, you know, the city will will certainly make its money back, even if we were just doing a you know a cash analysis uh in in property taxes over time.

Um, you know, uh there will likely be a pilot uh discussed for a portion of it.

That was my next question.

Um, but I think the expectation is that there will be some property taxes uh paid back to the city, and then that's not even considering the public benefits associated with uh the public uh infrastructure that the city will be effectively getting for you know uh in perpetuity.

Okay, thank you.

Councilmember Harris.

Yeah, Jeff, I just want to thank you.

This has been many years in the making, four long years of you and I meeting with Woodward and and going over various ideas of what could be there.

I know that the neighborhood is ecstatic about getting that building taken down.

There are a lot of squatters that were living there, there was a lot of vandalism that was happening.

That's right.

Um, and so just to have this transformative project in the heart of Mid-City, I think, and especially with access to the bayou and everything else is gonna be amazing.

And I think really we'll spur economic development in that area.

I just want to point out that housing is economic development.

It is absolutely and I think that's something that you have taken to heart.

And I know Dr.

Mains, you will continue that that housing equals economic development and to get affordable units in that project is is spectacular.

So I think it's a great use of public private dollars.

And as we're talking about getting it back on the tax rolls and making sure that it's bringing in income for the city, it's a great investment of city money.

That's right.

You're here.

Um I do once we get there, want to talk about framework for housing and how we are prioritizing investment in housing.

Uh looking at the number of units that can be created versus for the bang for the buck, which we talk about all the time.

So uh, you know, we'll talk about that later.

That sounds great.

And I can't wait to see the CEA.

Yes, absolutely.

We'll share it as soon as as soon as it's ready.

All right, Jeff, you want to move on to the next.

Yes, uh, moving on.

So um the NSA campus, this one we probably don't need to spend uh quite as much time on, but as Dr.

Main said, you know, this has been a labor of love for a lot of folks in uh uh uh on council and and uh in in the administration.

Um for those of you that that aren't aware, this is the one and a half million square foot former uh naval support activity uh that was shuttered under the base realignment and closure process that the Department of Defense uh initiated um probably 20 years ago now, and um ultimately resulted in the city uh becoming what's called the local redevelopment authority, the LRA, not the Louisiana Recovery Authority, but um in all the documents you'll see LRA.

And the city put out a solicitation in 2013, so thir thirteen years ago, and um ultimately negotiated a lease uh also with Mr.

Yeager.

Um it's like I think a little bit of a common theme.

Um and uh Mr.

Yeager uh attempted to do a redevelopment there uh that ultimately looks very close to I think what is is actually happening on site now.

Um, but just for various reasons, there was never the gap funding available, there was never the the right uh sort of constellation of things coming together to make that project happen.

And um uh, you know, there were there were a lot of ebbs and flows, you know.

I got to ride in my first SWAT uh vehicle uh as a part of that process.

Um, you know, it it too had become this huge albatross for the community.

Um you know, there was uh a very large homeless encampment on site there over the years, and so it just proved to be a very difficult uh project to advance, but without going into uh too many of the the details, um it it is going to be a multi-phazed redevelopment project.

Um the first phase uh closed uh in December and had its groundbreaking as Dr.

Maines noted in January.

It the first phase is a hundred and ninety-six million dollar project.

It's a 294, 100% affordable uh unit project.

Um it's gonna have 37,000 square feet of ground floor retail.

And then the the uh first phase is also including um a very exciting economic development project that Dr.

Maines and Courtney and the whole team uh have been supporting and will continue to lead on uh with new lab.

Um and so at the same groundbreaking, uh that facility was announced, and that is a very exciting 30 million dollar, roughly 20 to 30,000 square foot structure that's being built uh on that campus, but not in one of the existing structures.

And um that's gonna be supporting uh startups in New Orleans and really attracting companies from all over the world as well who are working in the energy sector and trying to do things like carbon management and develop the next generation of batteries and trying to advance uh renewable and and other energy sources, nuclear, etc.

And this is an RD hub.

This is this is you know, it's clean tech, there's nothing that's happening on site that won't that isn't compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

And what's so wonderful about it is that uh it's also a flag in the ground for New Lab, which is a company that started in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

If any of you are familiar with with that project in New York, that's been fantastically successful.

It's also a former naval base that was was redeveloped and is creating thousands of jobs in New York.

They replicated that model in Detroit.

Um if any of you are familiar with the Michigan Central uh terminal in New York and excuse me in Detroit that Ford put a billion dollars into that project.

They selected New Lab as well to operate that incubator.

And so for them to have their third uh incubator in North America uh putting the flag in the ground in New Orleans is a is a humongous testament, and it's something that I know we'll be able to build on for creating jobs and jobs of the future for New Orleanians.

Um there is a second phase of that project that is to come that we can all collaborate on together.

There's still 500,000 square feet of of space in building 601.

It's the building closest to the industrial canal.

And that project um is hopefully gonna be a collaboration between the city, LED, um, New Lab and many other partners.

Hopefully, the port will get involved and and and others.

Um, and I just can't say enough about the development team that came together.

Uh Brian Gibbs really stepped in when Mr.

Yeager uh had his untimely passing and did everything he could to make the first phase of the project happen.

He also brought in Lincoln Avenue Communities, which is uh a world-class uh uh affordable housing developer, which had only done one project previously in in New Orleans.

Um they came in and jumped in feet first with with Mr.

Gibbs and helped make that uh the first phase of the project, the 200 million dollar affordable housing deal happen.

And it is to date the largest low-income housing tax credit project that has ever happened in the state.

So we should all be really proud of that and lots to build on there.

And just to add a little bit on what Jeff was saying with affordable housing, after reviewing and reading um all the plans for that affordable housing.

The take that I took on that is how great it is, how how great each unit is, the dignity that people are gonna have um on that project, it's amazing.

Um, I don't know if we can share with you guys if we have it, if I if I get to see it again, for you to see um all the renderings of how beautiful it is, because normally you think about affordable housing and people don't really take pride as they should, but this administration, this team, this developer are really taking pride on creating good um dignity affordable housing and even creating a rooftop pool.

It's just it's amazing.

So I can't wait to for you guys to also see that.

So absolutely.

No, it's it thank you, Dr.

Maines.

It's a great point.

It's it's a truly world-class project, and and I should shout out um the the whole team as Dr.

Maines is, especially uh Kelly Butler and the safety and permits team.

I I know uh you know, they don't always get all the love and accolades they should, but uh when the developers came in and said they wanted to do the the rooftop pool for the residents to make this like truly you know a state-of-the-art facility, um, we had to go back and get that permitted in in record time.

And so I know uh council member Hughes' team, um Tammy uh uh was previously you know the director there, uh Jay Du4 and Kelly Butler and others just did heroic work getting a permit uh back through the process.

So I want to uh definitely shout out everyone who helps make these projects happen.

So for that campus, you said it was 294 units.

294 units in the in the uh in the housing uh the first the first building.

Okay, so in the first phase, you have those 294 affordable units.

Affordable units, 100% affordable.

And then you have New Lab.

Correct, then New Lab, yep.

And then the middle building, there's there's gonna be ground floor retail and office space.

There's only two floors in the in the middle building.

The rest is parking.

So there's actually almost 900 parking spaces on the site.

So neighbors will see zero impact in terms of having probably 800 new New Orleanians living in those those 294 units at about two, two and a half uh people per per unit, and um uh on average, obviously.

And uh, and the parking is substantial.

So all the new retail, all the new business activity, the site is is frankly overparked.

Um it also is building, I think, if memory serves, I believe it's 41 or is um uh wired for 41 EV charging stations there.

I think they're building um a little bit less than that in the first phase, but it's gonna have the most spaces for folks to charge their electric vehicles in the city, and that's in accordance with council's um recent recently passed laws around EV charging.

Okay.

Sounds good.

Yep.

Any questions on this project members?

You want to move on to River District?

Um the river district.

So this is I uh Councilmember Harris can write the dissertation on this.

Um, you know, this has been a project with a lot of ups and downs.

Um that's that's obviously been very public.

Um I think the thing that I'll say out of this right at the outset is that one, we are in a really great posture now.

Um I think with with new leadership and and just a renewed effort to kind of get everybody on the same page between the city, the convention center, the council, uh, the developer, you know, I think uh council member Harris and and the mayor have been, you know, uh trying to get folks all in the same room, and I think would love the rest of the council's engagement because this is another project with citywide importance.

But I just want to highlight that, you know, it it's in a really, really good spot now, which is um didn't happen by accident.

Um, you know, I think it's important for for the council and members of the public to understand that uh this project really is the convention center's project.

This is convention center land.

Um the convention center uh did the solicitation that and and has the master development agreement with the uh RD and I River District Neighborhood investors.

Um and so you know, I think part of the challenges have been uh just figuring out where the city with its limited resources and frankly limited standing can can be a partner and can push forward the things like affordable housing, and there's been a tremendous effort uh through Councilmember Harrison and others' efforts to ensure that the 900 units and the commitment to 450 affordable units happen and that that hasn't been lost in all of the different um dynamics that have happened with this project over the last several years.

Um I think making sure that the city gets what it wants out of this project is is critically important, and I think you know, generally there's alignment with the convention center and the developer, but as in any project, that that's always subject to negotiation.

And so that hasn't been easy at times, and I just applaud uh the leadership that's existed to help us navigate that.

Um where we are today is without going into too many details, there is a renewed master development agreement that was approved by the convention centers board, I think at last month's meeting, if I'm not mistaken.

Um, and uh it essentially puts the project back on on really sound footing.

Um obviously there was the shell uh uh building, which was controversial and is probably not worth uh rehashing here, but you know, keeps uh uh between seven or eight hundred shell employees in the city with over a hundred million dollars of payroll in Orleans Parish for property that wasn't previously on the tax rolls, um, and we push that horizon out a little bit, but that that project will absolutely come back on the tax rolls um once that pilot uh has expired um in 15 years.

And um the rest of the site, frankly, is going to be affordable housing, it's going to be amenities and uh open space for for residents.

Um the top golf is not moving forward, that's very public.

Um, and I think that if if there are any lessons learned or if there are any common themes for all of these projects, I know this is something that Councilmember Willard, you and your team uh were interested in hearing about today, is that you know folks want to see development in their communities.

They want to see it as Dr.

Main said in in New Orleans East, in Algiers, and in the heart of the city.

Um, and they especially want to see these eyesores and these this vacant property that's been sitting vacant for for decades to move forward.

We want to all feel that momentum in our communities.

They just want it to be done the right way.

They want to they want to see that it's compatible development, and I think that um, you know, uh I I certainly heard uh the arguments to the contrary about top golf not being as compatible with the the immediately surrounding community.

Um so I think there's a real opportunity now that that isn't happening to look at how we can integrate housing that's closer to the lower garden district than the Coliseum Square communities, um, that has more neighborhood serving retail.

Similarly, at NSA, the things we hear consistently is that folks are ecstatic that it's not you know a blighted and vacant building.

They would love to see um ground floor retail that serves the community uh in that building.

So whether that's a grocery store or child uh care, early childhood centers, um, dry cleaners, you know, things like that.

That those are the things that everybody wants in their neighborhoods that makes our neighborhoods livable.

As Dr.

Main said, you need the economic development with the community development and the housing, and that's I think a real common theme through all these projects.

I know I'm going in depth here, and so I'm gonna uh try to speed up a little bit, but um uh the river districts um the first phase of the affordable housing um is called Ravana.

Uh it has an award from the Louisiana Housing Corporation for some post-IDA CDBG money uh that totals 16 million dollars, and that money expires this spring, and so we are doing absolutely everything we can to get that project to a financial closing and a groundbreaking.

Um I know there are lots of meetings happening behind the scenes to ensure that that takes place, but um obviously the shell building is is coming out of the ground, is uh getting close to topping off.

Um, and then uh the next groundbreaking that we all uh will will attend uh should be uh the the Ravana project, and then there should be several phases of affordable housing and other uh retail development that happened right after that.

Okay.

Any questions?

I think definitely what did I miss, Councilmember Harris, I'm sure.

Yeah, no, Jeff, again, it's been yeoman's work getting this off the ground, getting people on the same page.

Yes.

And I think that you know, I attended uh Lower Garden District uh neighborhood association meeting yesterday, Jim Cook, Brian Gibbs, the common thread uh presented to them as well, and I think they're very excited about what the opportunities are in this brand new community.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you for your leadership in all of it.

Thanks, Jeff.

You want to move over to Lake Forest Plaza.

Yeah, the the Plaza Mall.

So I know uh near and dear to Councilmember Hughes.

Um there's not a lot to announce yet about this, but what I want to emphasize, what I know Dr.

Maines and Courtney and the mayor wanted to emphasize is that you know that is that site used to uh have 25% of all sales tax revenue in Orleans Parish.

Just just think about that.

It 40 years ago, 45 years ago, that site was literally the single property that contributed 25% of the tax base of the sales tax base of the city of New Orleans.

And since just prior to Katrina, it has not been contributing a penny.

And so I think that what I started out saying this level of urgency, the level of uh collaboration between the council and the administration, the level of holding parties responsible who have not been advancing projects and who have been uh you know, frankly, either tossing their hands up or not not doing the things that are within their power to do.

Um, you know, we we want to wrap our arms around those projects and around those people and and uh carry these projects forward.

And so Plaza Mall is one of those sites.

Um, you know, there's been uh work over the years.

I'll just say that, you know, uh under the prior administration.

Um, you know, we worked really hard to try to get something uh to happen there.

Um, you know, it it uh unfortunately didn't didn't uh fully land.

Um but we think there's the ability to get there's still 60 to 70 acres of property there that is ripe for redevelopment, and we could not be more bullish on that.

And so it is a first hundred day priority to be able to uh have a uh strategy mapped out for how we're going to do that.

And so council member Hughes, we would love to come meet with you about some of the uh early discussions internally that we've been having and um you know uh work together very closely to make sure that we can identify a critical path for getting that property back in commerce.

Um it's one that we certainly uh do not want to be here a year or four years from now and and not have anything to show for for uh a lot of work on that on that site.

Now I think we have to show real progress in the next couple of years on on the Lake Forest Plaza site.

And uh I I want to be involved in those conversations as well.

It's a huge priority for me and my office as well.

Councilmember Hughes.

Well, thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Uh good morning.

Uh let me first just uh be blunt.

District E has been forgotten for 20 years.

Uh it's 20 years post-Katrina and far too many parts of District E looks like Hurricane Katrina just hit yesterday.

Um so progress on the Plaza Mall site in the next couple years, respectfully, it's just gonna be too slow for me.

Um we have to move with intentionality, we have to move with urgency.

Um and we can't just focus on one parcel at a time.

Uh as we're focusing on the Plaza Mall site, we need to focus on the Kenneworth mall site.

We need to focus on Schwagman Plaza.

We need to focus on the Lower Ninth Ward.

Um so first thing I'm gonna do is hopefully use this moment as a reset moment.

I'm gonna ask the two of you if you would commit moving forward to meeting with me and my team uh at least twice per month.

Uh so num number one, I can be in the loop on what's going on.

Uh and number two, this can be a true partnership.

Will you make that commitment to me?

Yeah, we would love to.

Um actually um Charlene should be working to meet with every council.

I I know I have met we two yet so far.

Yeah, but yes.

It's fine.

We've all been moving very fast.

Um but but I want us to be intentional given that economic development uh certainly has been a key pillar for our mayor, who I'm very excited about the partnership with our mayor, uh, and it was certainly a key pillar for me.

Um and so I want to make sure moving forward that we're communicating on a regular basis.

So if we could commit to meeting at least twice per month, uh I'll certainly make myself available.

Um another commitment I'm gonna ask for within the next 30 days.

Uh will you commit to uh coming spend a half day with me, two separate days, one half day in New Orleans East, one half day in the lower ninth ward.

I think it'd be great for us not only to ride around, uh, but we have some key stakeholders uh in both New Orleans East and the Lower Ninth Ward uh that would love to be a part of of these conversations.

So will you commit to that as well?

I commit to that.

My husband's the one driving me for half a day in New Orleans.

I can drive you around, it's no problem.

Absolutely.

And I believe the key to our success in economic development is this partnership with every single one of you because it's not um it's not a one-man job.

Yeah, it's all of us here.

So thank you for that.

Right, a couple other just quick things um I'm gonna hit on.

Um, you know, as we talk about, I'm glad to hear you talking about uh city owned properties.

Uh obviously we have a lot of them in District E.

Um we need to get those off of city books at a time where you know we're we're crying for revenue.

Uh wouldn't it be just a great common sense thing uh to generate some property tax revenue if we stop sitting on properties that are overgrown that we can't even afford to cut.

So I look forward to partnering with you on that.

Uh you mentioned demolition and some other council districts, 6700 Plaza Drive is one of the most heinous actors in the city of New Orleans.

Um if I have to get a bulldozer myself, uh it needs to come down uh with urgency.

Um and so uh want to keep 6700 Plaza Drive uh on the administration's radar.

Uh let me piggyback on the the the comment from my dear friend uh councilmember Harris who said uh housing is economic development.

And I certainly agree with her on that.

Here's the problem.

Uh it just seems like the the shiny types of housing that are proposed in other parts of the city.

Uh we we just don't get those types of proposals in New Orleans East.

Uh and then we get uh accused of being NIMBEs and all kinds of other acronyms, you know, that people uh want to use, and that's fine.

I've been called a lot of things as a leader.

Well, all I'm gonna say is look, I'm not anti-housing, but if it's good for other parts of the city, then we want the same quality of housing in New Orleans East.

Uh and as we talk about housing, we probably have more desolate multifamily complexes in New Orleans East than any part of the city.

And so what I don't want to see happen is new housing stock comes up, folks shift, and now we have blight all throughout New Orleans East.

So there needs to be a multi-pronged strategy that when we look at housing, that we're being intentional, not only about creating new housing opportunities, uh, but that we also clean up what we have.

The other part that we need to realize is when we propose new housing multifamily complexes in New Orleans East, where are they going to shop?

How is it going to affect our drainage system?

Where is the police presence going to come from?

So these are questions that we need to think about as you know uh we propose new multifamily housing.

I do agree it can be economic development.

Unfortunately, in New Orleans East, we don't have the types of retail uh and grocery options, even though we have the population in that community.

So I want us to be intentional as we focus about that.

Couple two two final points.

Um uh commercial vacant buildings uh like the vacant IHOP, the vacant save a lot.

Um, you know, that that is blighted in our community.

How are we gonna hold these landowners accountable?

I think accountability is key.

So I think that needs to be a focus of our economic development strategy.

And now I want to shift uh and close in the small businesses.

Small businesses, thank the Lord, is the the crux of district E.

And we have some amazing small businesses.

Uh, many of them can use support uh for things like marketing, technical assistance.

So uh tell me your plan for uh how how are we gonna invest in small businesses and uh what tools exist to help our small businesses thrive.

Great great question.

Um we have a number of uh ways that we just try to be a convener uh right now.

We don't have a lot of resources um, you know, funding-wise, but what we can do is gather folks together so we have a um quarterly commercial corridor convening that we convene all of the commercial corridor groups, um, and that includes folks like Sankofa and the Lower Ninth Ward, um, and that uh uh New Orleans East Matters.

Um the uh you can't ever remember the acronym, but the East New Orleans Business Association, um as well as folks from all you know all the all the districts.

Um and so uh we convene quarterly uh to just kind of talk about what they're seeing on the ground, uh what's going on with main street businesses, how we can support if there's any um any ways that they're um all experiencing similar things that the city can be responsive to.

Um we also want to be a partner with them if they're seeking um grant funding from other sources, so we provide letters of support.

Um in some uh some instances we've co-written grants.

Um we recently got a grant um to do some small business technical assistance um in a place-based way from the National League of Cities and some of their funders.

Um we're gonna be piloting that along North Claiborne and in the Tremay starting next month.

Um, and the idea is that um we will move to a different corridor after this pilot.

So I'd love to talk with you all about ways to do that.

We also have a monthly meeting that's via Zoom with all our nonprofits that support businesses, so small business development center, a number of our other TA providers and incubators, accelerators.

And we just kind of uh meet on Zoom and hear what their programs are.

Um also Margaret Mickey, our colleague that uh Jenny introduced earlier, um, does a weekly newsletter where she shares information about um opportunities that come up mostly around business technical assistance um or funding opportunities.

Um and you know, she's also available for um businesses that are having issues navigating city processes or that need to be uh connected to one of those nonprofits.

All right.

Um thank you for that.

Um and so um last thing I will say, and as we meet, uh Lincoln Beach definitely uh needs to be on our radar.

This this project is moving, frankly, too slow.

Um the can has gotten kicked down the roll far too many times.

I think now the latest projection is 2027, and that's grossly unacceptable.

Um, and so we need to put our heads together.

Uh we need to give a transparent update to the public, and we need to come up with an incremental plan on how we get that beach open.

Uh my fear is that it'll be 2030, and we'll still be having these conversations.

Uh so uh Justin and my office will be in touch.

We look forward to convening twice a month and look forward to holsting you in District E within the next 30 days.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you, Councilmember Hughes and uh Dr.

Mains, Jeff.

Uh I think the council agrees with uh what council member Hughes was just sharing.

Um thing that I think would be useful for the city of New Orleans is uh a strategic plan on New Orleans East.

Um, you know, Councilmember Hughes campaigned on in enough is enough, right?

And uh it's been quite some time.

Uh and so we we definitely have to give the New Orleans East the attention that it truly deserves.

Uh and there's a lot of lot of opportunity and the lower ninth ward in the lower ninth ward.

The statistic that you shared, uh the old plaza site representing 25% of sales tax collections in the city of New Orleans.

I mean, that right there by itself, you know, should have been the impetus needed for us to get that site back up and running.

So uh we we definitely have to work there and look in and just understand you have a partner in the council, but we want to be involved in those conversations and those discussions, as well as the members of the community who have been fighting this fight for 20 years.

Yep, absolutely.

All right, you want to move on to charity?

Absolutely.

So to the members of the public, we have three more economic development projects, and then we'll uh do any other feedback from the committee, and then we'll get into public comment, okay.

Thank you.

And I'll I'll try to move these.

I'm I'm cognizant of time.

Um so charity hospital, again, uh the common refrain, uh, it's uh obviously been 20 years since Katrina, and um uh I think you know every everybody here knows the the ins and outs of the history of it, um, and there's an opportunity for that project to uh finally move forward in a way that I think uh is very much in the spirit of charity.

That's something that we've heard is a common refrain and doing something there that respects uh what is frankly really hallowed ground in the city um uh the number of people who are Katrina babies in our in our communities, um, or excuse me, uh charity babies.

Um and so um uh charity hospital has been uh it's again a state-owned property.

Uh it went through a solicitation uh to engage a master developer um uh several years ago now, many years ago, and um uh there has been uh movement around uh the actual developer and uh also who are the anchor tenants in the project, and so it's certainly not a secret at this point uh that Tulane has stepped up and sees charity as being a centerpiece uh and the future of its downtown campus and a real anchor in the city's wider uh bioinnovation and biodistrict uh strategy trying to uh leverage our really incredible resources in uh research and healthcare delivery.

Um and so you know, we have two medical schools in the city of New Orleans.

We obviously uh have are about to have uh a third uh with Ashner uh and Xavier uh joining forces at ZOCOM, um which is incredibly exciting.

Um and so in a city of 400,000 people, roughly to have three medical schools, uh we we are already punching way above our weight class, but we need catalysts like charity to uh uh anchor uh things like commercialization, and as we take research and health care and start to uh create intellectual property and grow businesses off of that.

We've we've missed out on those engines, and we've seen cities like Baltimore with East Baltimore Development Initiative and what they've done with um with Johns Hopkins, frankly, 25 years ago, um, or the research triangle or Cleveland, many communities have figured out how to leverage its the eds and meds and feds, the anchor institutions and translate those into uh economic development and community development.

Um charity hospital is going to be a catalyst in that, and that's the vision.

Tulane is going to be taking uh it's a million square feet, they're gonna be taking uh over two-thirds of of the building, so they're making an enormous investment into downtown.

It's an enormous investment for them as an institution.

I won't steal any of their thunder.

I'm sure they'll have you know many announcements coming up uh in the coming weeks and months.

Um and then there's also going to be housing in in that project uh to the point that that uh Dr.

Maines and Councilmember Harris, Councilmember Willard, Councilmember Hughes, everyone has made housing is economic development, uh, and vice versa.

Um there is a plan, 256 units of housing in that site.

It's still TBD, how many of those units will be affordable versus workforce versus market rate, but the administration is working very closely to make sure that any investments that uh we make, and I know Councilmember Harris is championing this as well, um, to ensure that we get as much uh impactful housing units as we can, and to also make sure that this the housing can speak to some of the programmatic elements, like how are we supporting workers in our hospitals, how are we ensuring that medical residents that come here to train uh can actually live uh in charity, which I think would just be really poetic in a lot of ways.

Um the project went from being a 250 million dollar project when it was originally proposed.

It is now a 650 million dollar project, which uh passes the smell test, I'll say that.

250 million, I think for those of us in the development community knew that you can't do anything for 250 dollars a square foot uh these days, um, even back then.

And so I think we have there's a real development team, there's a real anchor and leader in Tulane.

Um and so that project I expect to make uh really tremendous progress this year, and I know it's a priority of the mayor um and the council to make sure that that happens.

Um I'll stop there.

So I met with Tulane a week or two ago about the charity project, and and they touched on the affordable housing piece.

I I would hope that they reserve some of those units for uh some of the employees who work in the new facility.

I think that just makes sense.

Yep.

Um and even you know, a certain portion for uh medical students coming coming down to pursue their studies here in the city of New Orleans.

Um I think this is great that it fits in to the bio district.

I know um you're aware in in the legislature, I did a lot of stuff um related to the STEM and innovation, and uh New Orleans is not really known for that.

Uh certainly not known for biotech or or healthcare stuff, but we'll we are known for having a uh you know pretty sick population with a lot of comorbidities.

Yep.

And I always thought it made sense for us to pursue an angle for economic development related to research and and clinical trial activity.

And I think when you start to build out this puzzle, um we start to really have a game plan uh for another economic driver in the city of New Orleans that goes beyond hospitality, and I think that's what the people of New Orleans are looking for.

Certainly, it's it's what they deserve.

And my big goal, hopefully, one day we can get a national laboratory located somewhere in the greater New Orleans area because that would spur all types of economic development just by itself.

So I just wanted to share those thoughts.

Uh members, any questions on the charity site?

Councilmember McCarran.

I've got to run because I I have a meeting with the charity.

So uh I will get more details about it, but I just want to say thank you all for the work that you're doing, and and we look forward to partnering with you.

We had some discussions about some stuff, small businesses in district A.

So I think it's important that we consider our small businesses here that are here and help them as well.

So appreciate you all, and thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um the last two on the agenda here are uh municipal auditorium Armstrong Park Revitalization and Plaza Tower.

Uh the mayor had a very exciting announcement last week about municipal auditorium in Armstrong Park.

Here yet again, another project that is sat blighted and vacant for 20 years in probably the most hallowed ground in the city of New Orleans.

I mean, the storied history of municipal auditorium uh you know goes back uh almost a century in the city.

Uh and then Armstrong Park is obviously the site of Congo Square.

Um, and certainly don't need me to elaborate, but um it is the fountainhead of indigenous culture in this country.

Um, and so to have that that park and that auditorium be in the condition that they are.

I don't think anybody uh, you know, from the mayor on down uh finds that acceptable.

And um there's been a lot of work, yeoman's work over uh the last several years after uh you know, obviously the there was some consideration for moving City Hall over to Armstrong Park, and that was met with uh extensive community opposition.

The prior administration pivoted and started working with the Save Our Soul Coalition and uh the really amazing group of community members and and leaders that uh are represented in that in that group.

Um and ultimately um signed a five-year CEA to jointly pursue a master plan uh and also uh to work with the Greater New Orleans Foundation to help hire a world-class team uh to make sure that that uh master plan comports with the vision that the Save Our Soul Coalition and the administration and the council and many other stakeholders have.

And so very excited to say that we were we were in sort of a holding pattern uh last year.

Um but the uh mayor and CAO and others uh found the remaining funds that are needed in order to uh actually be able to put out the solicitation to hire that master planning team.

And the idea is that that team will uh be a world-class team, not just you know, uh someone that somebody knows but really represent the best of like local knowledge, um, but also national uh and maybe even international expertise.

Um and so uh, you know, the SOSC vision, the mayor's vision are very ambitious, very compelling.

Um and I think if we do this right, uh the analogy that we keep talking about internally is that it's sort of like the World War II Museum campus, but for culture, and thinking about all the different ways that New Orleans culture and its contributions to the country and the world, and telling the story of particularly uh black New Orleans, but also the incredibly rich, you know, gumbo pot that is the city, that that has a home in in the park.

Um, and so that will be the goal of the master plan is to get that vision down on paper so that we can start implementing it.

And uh I have every expectation that that that master plan uh the solicitation uh will go out hopefully in the second quarter of this year, and that we'll be kicking off this work in a matter of months.

Um I think I'll stop there on municipal unless there's any any questions.

Um and then lastly, uh Plaza Tower, um yet another uh you know, more than 20 year uh uh, you know, I eyesore on the city skyline.

Um I sound like a broken record.

And I think you know, we can see, you know, uh as council member Hughes mentioned, you know, there there are uh you know, corners of the city sometimes in you know further afield, sometimes right in the middle of downtown, where you know, uh either market forces and or um you know lack of leadership and vision have conspired to make it so that we've not been able to advance some of these really transformative projects.

And um I I believe uh, and I will go on the record of saying that I I think there is a transformative redevelopment possible with Plaza Tower.

I know the council and the administration are committed to holding the owners and the few potential future developers accountable to making sure that that building does not contribute to any public safety or quality of life issues in the meantime, but um there's a real opportunity to have that site be um a mixed use, mixed income, uh affordable and market rate uh housing transaction at a uh incredibly prominent corner of the city.

And so uh thank you, Councilmember Hughes, your line that you know if we we're doing something wrong if in a year and and certainly if in four years we don't have progress there, uh in in new at the Plaza Mall site and in others.

That's absolutely true at the Plaza Tower site as well.

Um and so I uh know that the current developer, which is uh Lincoln Avenue Communities, uh uh and Brian Gibbs to a lesser extent, uh, both who who did the NSA project, they have that property under contract.

And I can um confirm that you know we have biweekly uh project management meetings, and they are actively moving that project forward and are doing all the due diligence that you would expect from a pro uh developer who's trying to move a project forward.

Um so I'll stop there.

No, I again Jeff uh District B has a lot of projects going on.

Plaza Tower happens to be one of my favorite buildings.

I have a kid drawn portrait of it in my office behind my desk where I sit.

Um it has been a labor of love, I guess, and hate to try to get this thing redeveloped.

We did have a good meeting with HUD, the mayor, um, myself and some other folks from our teams to try to figure out how we can get additional federal funding for this building to get it off the ground.

I know that it sways and needs to be stabilized.

Um, but I do think that there's hope, and I would hate to spend city money tearing it down uh when we could be investing money in other projects in other areas of the city.

So I'm glad to have an investment team like Brian Gibbs and Lincoln Avenue uh at the table.

Absolutely.

Yes.

Yeah, I think that's that's a great uh point.

Uh well, several points, but in particular, you know, if we're gonna if we're gonna spend money on Plaza Tower, I'd love to see it be filling gap in a two or three hundred million dollar project as opposed to tearing something down and getting a hole in the ground that you know will probably be a surface parking lot for the foreseeable future.

And so I think you know, that's harder work to do the redevelopment work and it it can become politically and and otherwise fraught at that points, but I think the administration is committed to to standing in that breach with council and make sure that these types of projects can get done.

Any idea on a timeline when we can expect an update on Plaza Tower?

That's a great question.

Um currently the developer has it under contract, and and in that contract they would they would close in um the first quarter of 2027.

Closing on financing obviously means that you have all your sources of financing committed and secured, and you can go break ground on it the next day.

Um so I believe it's February of 27 right now, is when that contract runs through.

Um I would hope and expect that we will have substantive uh internal milestones that are pegged to uh some of the discussions we've had with the developer um uh that we can come back and report to to council and the and the public on, um, certainly um over the coming months, not not waiting a whole year to do that.

Uh uh is it okay for another year in the condition it's in?

Uh so I I'm not a structural engineer, but the assessments that both the city has procured and that we've seen from the engineers working on the due diligence for the the uh developer that has it under contract is that yes, the the building the building is in no danger of falling down, is what the engineers tell tell us.

Okay.

Um obviously the the cladding on the building, the the marble panels, the uh soffits and some of the metal, um those are the elements that need to be secured in order to make sure that the public is safe and that we are not going backwards towards road closures, etc.

Um, and so the um as you can see there's extensive remedial work that's happened to ensure that that uh the netting and the other bracing and and the like um have been uh addressed.

The the current ownership, which is still the estate of Mr.

Yeager, um uh also undertook about four or five hundred thousand dollars of remedial work um uh in the fall and winter and took out uh glass panels and other things that were other elements of the building that looked to be um unstable and that could create uh hazardous conditions.

So I believe that the city has held the the current ownership and developers' feet to the fire, made sure that the building is in a uh safe condition, as safe as it can be right now, and that um to your question, council member, that uh we can we can we bought ourselves the time to have the project come together.

Now, if we see any of that changing, obviously we will be you know right back to code enforcement hearings and uh you know taking direct action and and billing uh the estate if we need to.

Okay, thank you, Jeff.

Of course.

All right.

Uh we will get into public comment now.

I have Stephen Kennedy.

Good morning.

Um welcome Vice President uh Willow, congratulations on your election.

I know I haven't had a chance to tell you that yet.

Um good seeing you, Councilmember Harris and Councilmember Green.

I just really wanted to touch on two points, and these both points uh um interconnected.

Um community development and people development equals economic development, is what I like to say.

Um, because as we talk about community development, I know we talk about the bricks and mortar and the housing and all those aspects of retail, but also just the development of people, which I think is super super important.

Um, so council member will just wanted to kind of brief you and also um deputy mayor mays.

Um so uh myself along with the collaborative, and you've you voted on this at the state level where uh we helped get past the equitable business opportunity legislation at the state level and here on the local level.

And why I mentioned that because this is a majority minority city, and so I just want to constantly keep that at the forefront and making sure that when we talk about economic development, we talking about the minority small business community in this city as well.

Um, because oftentimes when we hear economic development, community development, oftentimes um the minority uh black community get pushed to the sideline, like as if we don't have thoughts, um, suggestions and good ideas and recommendations.

So um, I just want also uh uh deputy mayor uh Mays to understand how important the equitable business opportunity program is.

I actually flew to Atlanta um with former uh I guess she was vice president at that time, Marino, now Mayor Moreno, uh where we went and met with Keisha Lance Bottoms administration um to see like how can we implement stuff that they were doing in Atlanta to do it here in the city of New Orleans.

So just want to make sure that that stay at the top of your priorities for economic development um as well.

And then my my point uh about emerging development.

This is how I kind of bring it all in.

So we heard about all the various different projects your time is out.

I think it's very important.

Can we give them another 30 seconds?

That's up to you, counseling.

Yeah, 30 seconds.

So we heard all the projects that we don't support.

His mic's not on.

Uh let me get someone to control the mic for you.

I can't as above my pay grade.

Where is it?

Oh, it's back on.

Okay.

So can you start my 30 seconds back over, please?

Okay, thank you.

Um, and and you gotta wait, wait for it to start.

That's okay.

Thank you.

And so, what is important though is that all those projects is great, we hear about all these projects.

But what is important is though is that emerging developers, right?

Um, are super important in these, because most of those projects don't have minority developers and minority participation in them in regards to like you know, contracting opportunities.

But as an emerging developer myself here in the city of New Orleans, and I hear about affordable housing, how complex it is, I was to the point of getting to a closing on December the 23rd.

Literally, uh a financial closing.

And most of the time when people look at minority developers, that's not the case.

We don't even get opportunities to get to a closing.

So I was literally at the closing table to find out that the city funds that was available for my project was no longer available.

Um, and it was very hard.

I I spent over $300,000 just paying to a minor uh not a minority, a woman-owned firm, DB local firm, just in design fees, almost $300,000.

And I'm not wealthy like uh uh a Gibbs or Lincoln Avenues, none of those, but I'm just saying that to say that economic development, community development is partner, and also um supporting emerging developers because always it's always developers that don't look like myself who always get enough financial support every single time they get the red carpet rolled out for them to be successful.

But here, minority developer, we get every single roadblock put in front of us, and we figure it out.

I figured it out.

I figured every single roadblock that people try to put in front of me, and I figured it out to get to a financial closing.

So I'm hoping to continue to work with Jeff as a new community development director and and Dr.

Mays and his administration and his council to be successful because once again, that is emerging developer who grew up here in public housing.

I went through every single thing and every single roadblock was put up in front of me, and I still got to appoint to a closing, and so I just want to have that continuous support.

Thank you, Mr.

Kennedy.

Thank you.

Uh Eugene Ben.

Eugene Ben Housing.

Oh, there you go.

Good morning, Mr.

Ben.

Good morning.

Congratulations to all the new appointees.

Um my question is the housing trust fund and implementing your workable and driving strategy for the city of New Orleans.

First opportunity zones, the 100-day agenda, workforce uh development, community engagement, and targeting areas of need.

Implementing the successful housing frustration in New Orleans requires moving beyond simple funding towards a cohesive strategy that integrates economic incentives, rapid execution, and community trust.

What are what number one?

The housing trust funding.

I don't want to go into too much details.

The hundred-day agenda, the quick wins.

Uh, to illegal SCR's return to the units long-term rental market opportunity zones, leveraging private capital, workforce development, building the builders, targeting areas of need and community engagement.

Workforce development, building the builders, targeting areas of need in community engagement.

So when can we sit down or have another meeting to try to put this implementation plans together so that we we begin to uh get our teeth into what is necessary uh to develop a new agenda that works for the city that is successful for the city, and basically um um taking uh uh a shoehorn from my partner Steven, how we make this cohesive for a successful new administration?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Ben Malika Anno.

I don't know how to print I can't read your handwriting's worse than mine.

For real, for real.

How y'all doing?

Thank y'all so much.

Umika Honoring.

Honor Y'all can hear me?

Yes, I know y'all know my name, but I'm gonna say it again.

My name is Malika Honori.

I am a product of New Orleans East.

I've live in New Orleans East my whole adult life.

I am a business owner and an entrepreneur there and a homeowner.

And so I've invested my whole entire life into New Orleans East.

I want to make sure that you doc and your team do not forget about New Orleans East.

Do have y'all thought about an actual plan from you all development for as New Orleans East.

Have y'all thought about plan?

And can y'all share?

Just continue with your your uh questions, your comments, and then we'll get responses after everybody's spoken, okay?

That's it.

Okay.

I just don't want y'all to forget about New Orleans East and remind you all, New Orleans East still controls a lot of the money.

That goes into the fund that does not come back to us.

So I do want y'all to not forget about New Orleans East.

But that was my question.

Thank you, Miss Honore.

Uh, last card I have, Miss Tanji Wall.

Good morning, Miss Tanji.

Good morning.

I really, really appreciate um this economic development committee meeting.

And so many of you we've worked together before, Courtney and Jeff.

And we're very proud of Dr.

Jenny Maines being uh that deputy mayor for economic development, and most of all the council here too, the council members that have supported us in the past.

Uh Matt, you are doing an excellent job.

I knew you would, and I appreciate your leadership on this particular committee, because it is very important for New Orleans East.

New Orleans East truly matters.

It's not just a t-shirt, it's not just uh a buzz phrase, but we are committed to economic development, sustainable economic development.

I think our council person, Jason Hughes, summed it up pretty much.

All of those priorities that uh mean so much to our community in terms of revitalization, our quality of life.

And uh I'm very proud of this.

I'm just really pleased, and we're looking forward to working together futuristically with each and every one of you, the council and uh deputy mayor, and of course, Courtney and Jeff, as always.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Miss Wall.

All right.

Uh just a just a couple of uh, I guess follow-up questions.

Um Ms.

Honore talked about a plan for New Orleans East.

I mean, I've thought that was a good idea, a good step in the right direction for a number of years.

Um, so I think that is worthy of consideration.

The reason I believe I think it's a good idea is because you have so many large swaths of uh commercial property out there in New Orleans East that is either blighted or vacant, and we have to do something with it.

And so I think if you put that strategic plan together, you can put a puzzle together and show not only what is going to best serve the residents in New Orleans East, but the residents in the city of New Orleans as a whole.

Um, New Orleans East is one of our main thoroughfares entering the city.

And uh, I think it's a shame that the I-10 corridor coming into our city uh is not more welcoming.

And I think we need to do more on that front um with our city time and resources.

Uh so again, I'll reiterate uh you certainly have a partner in me.

Uh, and I know you have one with council member Hughes.

Uh a lot of exciting updates going on in the city of New Orleans, a lot of potential, a lot of opportunity.

Uh, when I speak to people in the city, when I speak to business owners in the city, um, they're a little cautious, but they're cautiously optimistic, right?

Maynes um I want to get with you in the next few weeks to talk about the film component of your department because we just had some major wins there uh with centers and some other platforms uh other other productions that were filmed in the city of New Orleans and I think that's another um potential economic driver provides jobs for people in the city of New Orleans.

So um with that uh councilmember green council member Harris any questions any comments all right I will entertain a motion to adjourn we don't have a quorum we don't have a quorum oh you're not on the committee all right we'll adjourn at the next meeting thank you everybody thank you Jeff thank you Dr.

Maines thank you Corden