VOLUME 2

chapter 9

ENHANCING PROSPERITY AND OPPORTUNITY

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Urban economic competitiveness in the 21st century

DURING much of the period following World War II, jobs and people—moved out of older cities to newer suburb and regions. Recent demographic and economic shifts, however, have made historic cities like New Orleans more competitive economically. Four trends stand out.

• Singles and households without children increasingly dominate housing markets and have chosen in growing numbers to live in urban neighborhoods. According to urban economist Arthur Nelson, the U.S. already has roughly all the large-lot suburban housing it will need in 2030 but only half the closer-in, small-lot and urban housing it will need then.
• CEOs for Cities President Carol Coletta reports that companies increasingly look to where millennials (25- to 34-year-olds) are moving to make investment decisions. These young people increasingly value the ability to live in or near a vibrant walkable downtown.
• Chris Leinberger, a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution who specializes in land use, reports that walkable, mixed-use developments now command a sizable value premium over single-use developments. In addition, urban households with access to public transportation often spend half or less as much of their disposable income on transportation as do “auto-dependent” suburban households.
• Peter Kwass, the Master Plan’s economic development consultant, reports that across America jobs have started to follow educated and skilled workers back into cities, where these workers want to live.

THE ECONOMY

Economic Structure and Performance

Biggest employers by industry in order, 2015

• Health care and social assistance (14.5%)
• Leisure and hospitality (12.8%)
• Educational services (12.1%)
• Retail (9.3%)
• Professional, scientific, and technical services (7.7%)

Unemployment

• 6.8% in June 2016 (U.S. 4.9%)

Competitive strengths as a location for employers, 2015

More than $20 billion is being invested in six target sectors, three foundational and three diversifying:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Energy
• International Trade
• Digital Media
• BioSciences
• Emerging Environmental

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

• From 2011-2013, New Orleans’ entrepreneurship rate was 64% higher than the national average with 471 startups per 100,000 adults.
• Venture capital funding has doubled in Greater New Orleans from $16 per capita in 2010 to $32 in 2014.
• Louisiana ranks 37th among states in total government, academic, and industry Research and Development (R&D) spending (2005)
• Louisiana ranks 31st among states in high tech employment (2006)
• Almost nine of ten businesses are small businesses (2007)

Workforce

Labor force participation

• About six in ten residents 16 years and over are working or actively looking for work

Occupations

• More than 70% of adult residents work in management, professional, service, sales, and office occupation

Industries

• Industries employing 6 in 10 city residents are leisure and hospitality, education, health care, professional, scientific and technical services, retail, and construction Entertainment, transportation, finance, and manufacturing, are lesser sources of employment

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

• Tourism, trade, and to a lesser extent, oil and gas, remain the mainstays of the city’s economy.
• The strength of the knowledge-based industries of education, professional, scientific and technical services provide a foundation on which to create more highly-skilled, high paying jobs.
• The state ranks relatively low in its technology resource base (as measured by R&D expenditures, patents, and venture capital investment).
• The city ranks relatively low in the percentage of residents with high school diplomas, but the city has a relatively large number of college-educated workers.

Income and Poverty

Household Incomes

• Median household income in New Orleans was approximately $36,964 in 2014
• Median household income among whites is more than double that among African-Americans

Poverty rate

• The poverty rate in New Orleans in 2014 was 28% versus 16% nationwide.
• The poverty rate among African-Americans is more than triple that among whites

Education

About 8.5 in 10 adult residents (25 years and over) hold a high school; about 38% hold a bachelor’s degree

• 17 percent more adult white residents have a high school diploma than African-Americans residents; more than four times as many whites hold a bachelor’s degree

Sources: Brookings Institute; U.S. Census Bureau ACS; U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.; Louisiana Workforce Commission, Statistical Atlas, GNO, Inc.

WWW.NEWORLEANSMASTERPLAN.ORG

FINDINGS

• The economic sectors that provide the most jobs are: tourism; education; health care; professional, scientific, and technical services; and public administration.
• Almost nine of ten businesses in New Orleans have fewer than 25 employees.
• Key organizations involved in adult education and workforce development include the Job 1 Career Centers, Delgado Community College/Louisiana Technical College (LTC) and non-profit and community based organizations. Numerous initiatives to provide work experience programs for high school students are in early stages, but are not always well connected to employers.
• A number of organizations have been established to promote talent attraction and retention.
• New organizations are energizing efforts to develop and grow small entrepreneurial companies.
• The city's research institutions have created untapped opportunities for the development of new, high-growth, technology-based companies.
• Downtown New Orleans remains a vital business, civic, cultural, and entertainment district and has the greatest concentration of employment and employers in the New Orleans metropolitan area.
• Downtown has ample opportunities for infill development.

CHALLENGES

• Maintaining economic momentum.
• Keeping the Port of New Orleans competitive with other Gulf Coast ports (e.g., Houston).
• Growing new industries that will take up the slack from the eventual slowdown of recovery-related economic activity.
• Building the research capacity, the university-industry linkages, and the managerial talent to support the development of technology-based industries.
• Retaining the city's indigenous cultural talent in manner where they may equitably enjoy in the city's prosperity.
• Addressing workforce deficits that discourage the development of knowledge-driven industry.
• Capitalizing on economic activities stimulated by recovery activities to build sustainable new industries.
• Increasing employer engagement in work experience programs for youth and adult workforce development.
• Establishing stronger linkages between secondary and post-secondary education.
• Addressing shortages and inaccessibility of adult education locations.
• Connecting all citizens equitably to employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
• Creating living environments that are attractive to young professionals.
• Establishing a stronger entrepreneurial culture within the city.
• More effectively building and leveraging the research base of the city's research universities to commercialize new technologies locally.
• Leveraging new resources for small business development to develop a more integrated approach to small business assistance.
• Streamlining the business regulation practices.
• Helping small businesses make more use of available incentives.

Acronyms

To aid in reading this section, below is a list of acronyms used within the text:

A Introduction

New Orleans is a city whose workforce encompasses musicians and artists, hotel workers, oil and gas engineers, professors, port workers—and life science researchers, spaceship builders, and digital media entrepreneurs. The city continues its economic transition, relying on many traditional industries while fostering emerging sectors. The economic development section of the Master Plan identifies and describes New Orleans’ important economic base industries—established, emerging, and potential—as well as the building blocks of economic prosperity that create the equitable environment for development of human capital and new enterprises. New Orleans’ ability to grow, promote and sustain the processes of innovation, trade, and investment—its capacity to produce—is the key to achieving shared and sustainable economic growth. This capacity to produce is a function of the community’s human resources, those resources opportunities to equitably participate, entrepreneurial climate, physical infrastructure, economic institutions, and general quality of life, as well as how they are put to use. These are the building blocks of the economy:

• Human capital building blocks: high-quality education and workforce training at all life stages; cultural and recreational amenities; vibrant, safe, convenient, and environmentally sustainable neighborhoods; and partnerships with regional and state economic development entities.
• Entrepreneurial culture building blocks: a robust academic research base; aggressive movement of new technology into the marketplace; a risk-oriented investment community; a critical mass of professional services and technical assistance; appropriately designed and priced physical space; ample opportunities for networking and collaboration.
• Additional economic building blocks: physical infrastructure to support a variety of industries; efficient and cost-effective local government and regulations. (Infrastructure and transportation, including the airport, are discussed in greater detail in Chapters 10 and 11.)

Economic base industries are the key to wealth creation and economic prosperity. They sell their products and services to business and consumers from elsewhere—regionally, nationally, and internationally—which brings new income that creates jobs and increases business as it circulates within the local economy. Over its next 25 years, the city must continue to support its established industries, while nurturing emerging and new industries where New Orleans has a competitive advantage:

• Established industries: tourism, arts and culture, maritime trade, advanced manufacturing, and oil and gas.
• Emerging industries: life sciences, environmental and resilient industries, media and film, and sustainable technologies.
• Potential industries: segments of alternative energy technology, coastal protection and restoration technology, and advanced building technology.

B Recommendations

A recommendations Summary linking goals, strategies and actions appears below and is followed by one or more early-action items under the heading Getting Started. The Narrative follows, providing a detailed description of how the strategies and actions further the goals. Background and existing conditions discussion to inform understanding of the goals, policies, strategies and actions are included in Volume 3, Chapter 9.

Summary

NEXT FIVE YEARS: 2016–2021 | MEDIUM TERM: 2015–2019 | LONG TERM: 2020–2030

■ NEXT FIVE YEARS: 2010–2014 ■ MEDIUM TERM: 2015–2019 ■ LONG TERM: 2020–2030

NEXT FIVE YEARS: 2010–2014 | MEDIUM TERM: 2015–2019 | LONG TERM: 2020–2030

<span style="display:inline-block; width:15px; height:15px; background-color:#FFD700; border:1px solid #000;"></span> NEXT FIVE YEARS: 2010–2014 <span style="display:inline-block; width:15px; height:15px; background-color:#90EE90; border:1px solid #000;"></span> MEDIUM TERM: 2015–2019 <span style="display:inline-block; width:15px; height:15px; background-color:#87CEEB; border:1px solid #000;"></span> LONG TERM: 2020–2030

EXT FIVE YEARS: 2010–2014 MEDIUM TERM: 2015–2019 LONG TERM: 2020–2030

NEXT FIVE YEARS: 2010–2014 MEDIUM TERM: 2015–2019 LONG TERM: 2020–2030

NEXT FIVE YEARS: 2010–2014 MEDIUM TERM: 2015–2019 LONG TERM: 2020–2030

| | | | | | | | | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 10. Cultural Preservation | 10.A. Connect businesses to partnerships that advance and strengthen the cultural economy. | 1. Creation of a new Cultural Preservation chapter of the Master Plan that focuses on the people and traditions, the way the Historic Preservation chapter focuses on buildings and architecture | Mayor's Office, Office of Cultural Economy, City Planning Commission | Next five years | General funds | 9.XX |

Getting Started These items are short-term actions that can be undertaken with existing funding, or relatively little expenditure, and will help lay the groundwork for the longer-term actions that follow.

• Work with regional and state agencies to further economic development goals.
• Continue to develop more partnerships between business and higher education and workforce training programs, to meet growing demand for jobs at all skill levels.
• Advocate with the state to support local community colleges, universities and colleges as critical to future prosperity.

Narrative

GOAL 1

Work with newly established public private partnership the New Orleans Business Alliance to attract, retain, and grow businesses and expand the economic base

Developing strategies to grow New Orleans' economic base does not mean starting at square one. There is already a strong foundation of organizational capacity and resources on which to build. What is lacking, however, is communication, coordination, and alignment among industry, government, and the various organizations and institutions that support economic development within the City and throughout the region and State. The immediate challenge for New Orleans is to develop an organizational structure for economic development that brings key stakeholders together and creates a strategic framework for action, and one that can work more effectively with regional and state economic development entities. In an environment of increasingly scarce resources, it is essential to develop consensus around which actions will have the greatest impacts and to align efforts toward successfully implementing those actions. While generating additional resources will be critical, New Orleans will be more successful in doing so if all key economic development stakeholders are engaged, committed, and unified. Creation of an effective public-private economic development partnership is the critical first step in developing this economic-development consensus. The NOLABA will then play the central role in coordinating initiatives undertaken by the full range of city, regional, state and other agencies focused on economic development.

Historic preservation can further economic development and sustainability

Historic neighborhoods give New Orleans a competitive edge. The majority of New Orleans residents value their city’s character and heritage, yet economic development interests often view historic preservation efforts as overly restrictive, bureaucratic obstacles that factor into the city’s stagnant economy. Converging market forces and demographics, however, have made cities with historic character—walkable neighborhoods of historic housing peppered with locally owned stores, “main streets,” and unique cultural attractions—the most desirable places to live and do business. Since these forces will continue to shape the economic environment until at least 2020, protecting and restoring the character-giving elements of New Orleans’ historic neighborhoods will be critical in giving the city a distinct edge in competing globally for talent, business, and investment.

First steps. Partnerships between economic development interests (both public and private) and historic preservation initiatives will help leverage the city’s historic assets into a key driver of economic growth. In addition, partnerships between historic preservation and neighborhood revitalization initiatives will support a more holistic approach to preservation that emphasizes all aspects of neighborhood character—not just individual buildings—and strengthen the viability of New Orleans’ beloved neighborhoods for both current and future residents.

Heritage Tourism. Growing New Orleans’ heritage tourism

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Converging market forces and demographics have made cities with historic character—walkable neighborhoods of historic housing peppered with locally owned stores, “main streets,” and unique cultural attractions—the most desirable places to live and do business in America.

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Heritage tourists seek authentic experiences “off the beaten path” and typically stay longer and spend more money than other visitor-market segments. New Orleans contains a wealth of opportunity for expanding heritage tourism into less-traveled areas of the city.

sector represents an opportunity for the city to capitalize on its wealth of historic and cultural assets to expand the city’s tourism economy and spread its benefits to a broader cross-section of New Orleans. Heritage tourists seek authentic experiences “off the beaten path,” typically staying longer and spending more money than other visitor market segments. New Orleans contains a wealth of potential heritage beyond current popular tourism destinations. The city’s six Main Streets programs, for example, promote historic restoration, marketing and small business development; these districts should be seen as potential heritage tourism destinations.

Cultural Economies. Neighborhood-based arts and entertainment venues provide opportunities for creating heritage tourism destinations, generating jobs, and enhancing quality of life. The 19 Cultural Products Districts established by the state Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in 2008 provide state tax credits to support the purchase and restoration of historic structures by artists and others. The heritage tourism task force should work with these districts to promote and develop them as tourist destinations “off the beaten path.”

Sustainability. Historic preservation is a key strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions because existing buildings embody energy that has already been expended in construction. Because of New Orleans’ national visibility as a treasure house of historic architecture in an environmentally vulnerable location, the city could become a national model for sustainable preservation by its 300th anniversary in 2018.

1.A Strengthen NOLABA’s business retention and expansion program. Business retention and expansion programs generally focus on economic base industries and other large and medium-size businesses that have the flexibility to relocate outside the community. They can be a very cost-effective economic development tool, since it is generally accepted within the economic development field that efforts to help businesses remain in a community are easier and less costly than efforts to attract new ones. Establishing such a program should be one of the NOLABA’s initial tasks.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Prioritize companies to target for support. Who: NOLABA, volunteers from business organizations, regional and state agencies.. When: Next five years Resources: NOLABA funds, City of New Orleans staff time, regional and state sources

2. Leverage LED’s BERG (Business Expansion and Retention Group) visitation program to enable economic development partners to obtain information about a company and its future plans, inform the company about available local resources and programs, and identify needs or problems that require action. Who: NOLABA, GNO, Inc., LED When: Next five years/Ongoing Resources: LED funds, regional and state sources

Streamline a response system to help the business address needs or resolve problems in a timely manner. Utilize industry experts to visit key firms in economic base industries. Recruit volunteers from business organizations including the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Council in order to expand the scope of the program beyond what would be possible relying only on professional staff. Engage small businesses through community events and one-on-one meetings to gauge their needs.

1.B Partner with GNO Inc. on business recruitment activities. GNO Inc. plays the lead role in regional business recruitment in energy, digital media, advanced manufacturing, transportation, trade, and logistics, and sustainable industries and needs partners in its constituent parishes to offer local assistance to best attract new prospects and close deals. NOLABA should assume this role in Orleans Parish.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Assist businesses with site selection. Who: NOLABA, GNO, Inc., the City of New Orleans When: Next five years/Ongoing Resources: NOLABA funds

Provide GNO Inc. with continuously updated location/parcel information for its web-based site selection tool. Prepare marketing materials to highlight parcels that are particularly suited for new development/redevelopment. Prepare a comprehensive inventory of available incentive programs. Work with the City Planning Commission to ensure that the comprehensive zoning ordinance provides ample land and appropriate regulatory controls for new commercial development. Work with NORA to identify opportunities for land banking and repackaging land for commercial redevelopment.

Create an inventory of non-industrial sites that are available for development. Actively participate in the city’s annual capital improvement process to advocate for infrastructure improvements that assist in business growth. Actively participate in the Regional Planning Commission’s planning and transportation improvement program (TIP) process to ensure that planned transportation investments meet businesses’ needs. Work in partnership with higher education programs and Job 1 to identify education and workforce development programs that can be used to recruit and train employees.

1.C Retain and attract educated and skilled workers at all levels by expanding and broadening participation in existing talent retention and attraction efforts. During the past six years, an impressive array of talent retention and attraction initiatives has sprung up among existing nonprofit and new grass roots organizations, with young professionals often in leadership roles.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Increase and improve engagement from the city’s business, academic, civic, and political leadership to build on nonprofit and grassroots organizations' efforts to connect college students to employment opportunities within New Orleans. Who: NOLABA, GNO, Inc., 504ward, the City of New Orleans, Local higher education institutions When: Next five years Resources: Business support, nonprofit support

   Local higher education institutions should work collaboratively with the business community to establish an internship and employment clearinghouse, jointly outreach to the business community to identify and promote internships, list internships and full-time post-graduation positions on a common web site and provide guidance to students seeking internships or full-time jobs. Local business people could also be recruited to provide one-on-one career mentoring and relationship-building opportunities.

2. Support a national marketing campaign aimed at prospective students or recent graduates, with targeted web and print marketing, showcasing the city’s educational, employment, social, cultural, and community service opportunities. Who: NOLABA, GNO, Inc., Tourism agencies When: Next five years Resources: Business support, NOTMC

   Work with key employers to provide financial incentives for young professionals such as partial tuition rebates or student loan deferrals for graduating students who commit to stay in New Orleans such as the software engineering program between GE and the University of New Orleans. Support medium-priced housing near downtown core or transportation hubs and smart city features.

3. Include lifestyle preferences of young professionals in housing, urban design, and transportation planning. Who: NOLABA, NORA, CPC When: Next five years Resources: Business support, CPC, NORA

   The lifestyle preferences of young professionals affect their choice of living and working environments. A significant segment of the young adult demographic seeks an urban environment with a vibrant mix of activities, social and business networking opportunities, and attention to health and environmental sustainability. Urban design, housing choices, and transportation options all play a role in their perceptions about a community’s appeal. The preferences of this demographic should be taken into account in local planning processes in order to create spaces that appeal to this group. To this end, planning processes in urbanized

districts or involving transportation or environmental measures should incorporate targeted outreach to obtain input and participation from this demographic.

1.D Engage young people in civic activities and cultivate new leadership. Many young professionals in New Orleans have demonstrated a strong commitment to civic and volunteer activities. Business, civic, and political leaders should leverage this commitment by more consciously working with emerging young leaders to build a cadre of civic leadership for the next generation.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Actively solicit young professional membership in civic organizations. Who: NOLABA, GNO, Inc., 504ward, non-profit organizations When: Next five years Resources: Staff time
2. Carve out responsible roles for young professionals in community projects. Who: NOLABA, GNO, Inc., 504ward, non-profit organizations When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

Convene a committee of business, civic and government leaders to establish a civic vehicle for public recognition of young leaders’ achievements.

A perception that their contributions are valued and opportunities exist for elevation to leadership positions will motivate young people to remain in the city for the long term. The Young Leadership Council (YLC) and Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans (EPNO) are two organizations that serve this function.

1.E Public Private partnerships acknowledge “Equity as a Growth Strategy.”

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Equity shall be championed by City leadership, which will be reflected by diverse boards, commissions, and staffs. Who: Mayor’s Office, NOLABA, GNO Inc. When: Next five years Resources: No additional resources required, equity training
2. Encourage and reward corporate values that prioritize equity and access. Who: Mayor’s Office, NOLABA, and GNO, Inc. When: Next five years Resources: General fund, Industrial Development Board, Restoration Tax Abatement, Urban Development Action Grant, Section 108, Economic Development Fund, Neighborhood Housing Improvement Fund

1.F Encourage balance in economic development through investment in big business, small business and micro-business

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Deployment of capital to DBEs through a mobilization fund Who: Office of Supplier Diversity When: Next five years Resources: General funds, grant funds, loan funds

1.G Assist developers with site selection to areas properly zoned for such activities.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Meet with prospective developers prior to site selection to provide zoning and other regulatory information. Who: NOLABA When: Ongoing Resources: NOLABA staff time

GOAL 2

Local government that supports high quality of life by delivering cost-effective and efficient services to both businesses and residents

2.A Make New Orleans a safer more reliable city in which to live, work and play by ensuring basic service delivery. Preserving and enhancing the overall quality of life must be an important focus of economic development. Quality of life is an essential ingredient to both retain existing businesses and residents, and to attract new economic investment and future residents. Cities that provide attractive, amenity-rich neighborhoods and business centers; reliable, well-maintained roadways and transit systems; strong schools; and streets free of crime and litter, are attractive to both residents and the companies they employ.

Many aspects of New Orleans’ quality of life—its vibrant culture, rich architectural heritage, and old-world charm—are strong attributes. At the same time, there is a broad recognition that other factors seriously detract from the city’s quality of life. In addition to concerns about the city’s physical vulnerabilities, these include concerns about the quality of public education, threats to public safety, corruption, poorly maintained infrastructure, threat of flooding, and the effectiveness and efficiency of basic government functions. Without addressing these basic quality-of-life issues, the most effective economic development efforts are likely to fall short of creating a strong, dynamic economy. While significant strides have been made in some of these areas, more progress is needed to turn these factors from a negative into a positive.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Provide, maintain, and repair basic infrastructure and transportation systems for a safer, more dependable and efficient city environment. Who: RTA, DPW, RPC, Capital Budget When: Next five years Resources: Local, state and federal funding (See Chapter 10—Community Facilities, Services and Infrastructure for further discussion on infrastructure issues and strategies; and Chapter 11—Transportation for further discussion of roadway, transit and airport systems.)

2. Reduce the risk to the City from flooding and storm events and increase resiliency. (See Chapter 12, Resilience and Chapter 10—Community Facilities, Services and Infrastructure for further discussion on infrastructure issues and strategies.) Who: DPW, S&WB, Corps When: Medium term Resources: Federal funding

Improve enforcement procedures throughout city agencies to provide confidence in the city’s capacity. Increase Safety and Permits zoning enforcement inspectors assigned to the zoning administration division to enforce the zoning laws. Inspectors should be partnered with district planners at the City Planning Commission. Ensure strong police, fire and emergency systems are in place for more secure neighborhoods. Ensure that schools are fully funded to provide a well-rounded education, including physical education and arts programs. Implement the City’s Resilient NOLA strategy.

Complete new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and continue to market air travel to increase air traffic and serve as an attractive “front door” to New Orleans. (See Chapter 11—Transportation, Goal 5, for further discussion on theairport.)

2.B Government engages as a meaningful partner with businesses and residents, by being responsive and adaptive.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Government service leverages technology to improve speed and accuracy of service delivery. Who: Office of Information Technology & Innovation, Innovation & Delivery Team When: Next five years Resources: General funds

2.C Connect residents to both the civic and individual opportunities offered by large and anchor businesses.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Connect residents to both the civic and individual opportunities offered by large and anchor businesses. Who: NOLABA, GNO, Inc. When: Next five years Resources: NOLABA funds, GNO, Inc. funds

GOAL 3

Preservation and expansion of established industries

3.A Preserve and expand the tourism industry.

Tourism marketing in New Orleans pales in comparison to other major tourism destinations. Combined marketing expenditures among the city's three major marketing organizations are approximately $20 million—or about 10 percent of the tourism marketing budget for Las Vegas.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Increase funding for tourism marketing efforts and identify new market development and marketing targets with a tourism management plan. Who: Tourism organizations When: Next five years Resources: Business funding, city economic development funds

   Expand the tourism marketing budget to match comparable destinations. Maximize city tourism marketing efforts through increased coordination between city organizations. Invest in cultural creation and activity to support the main product of the tourism industry, culture.

2. Invest in new forms of tourism and attractions that complement current offerings to increase the tourism market. Who: tourism entities, private business, the Office of Cultural Economy When: Medium term Resources: city staff time, private investments

   Support and fund the development of the theater district. Invest in heritage tourism, such as in the Tremé district as a center of African-American history and cultural tourism, including a museum showcasing the contribution of the African-American community to New Orleans' social and cultural life. (See Chapter 6—Historic Preservation) Expand on the city's numerous festivals and other special events to include more events in the slower tourism months. Support zoning and other policies that support cultural activities throughout the city.

3. Promote appropriate forms of development to improve the quality of retail, restaurant, and entertainment options along Canal Street. Who: CSDC, DDD When: Next five years Resources: CSDC and DDD funds

   Implement the Canal Street Redevelopment Plan, developed by the Downtown Development District (DDD), the Canal Street Development Corporation, and the CPC, including DDD's pilot program to bring vacant upper floors back to commerce and improve the quality of ground floor retail Provide customized assistance, such as site selection, information about relevant incentives, and marketing materials to attract retail, dining and entertainment establishments.

4. Improve connectivity and transit within and between tourist areas and attractions. Who: RTA, DPW, DDD When: Next five years Resources: Federal transportation funds, DDD funds

New Orleans’ walkability is one of its advantages from a tourism perspective. Yet as the range of tourism venues expand, some areas are not as accessible to tourists as they could be.

Continue to review and consider opportunities to increase public transportation options to downtown and the French Quarter to better connect important tourist destinations and places of work. Ensure transportation transfers are accessible and safe. (See Chapter 11—Transportation). Ensure adequate transit service to and from downtown and the French Quarter and develop strategies to draw visitors out of the French Quarter and CBD and into other neighborhoods. Program streetscape and sidewalk improvements throughout downtown for a more appealing, accessible, and safe walking environment. Update wayfinding signage for pedestrians and vehicular traffic.

5. Augment efforts to preserve public safety in tourism districts. Who: DDD, Police Department When: Next five years Resources: DDD

The physical condition, cleanliness, and security of public spaces can strongly influence visitors’ perceptions of the city. The environment in public spaces, particularly as it relates to public safety, is not only real concern, but through national media coverage, can create an indelible image that is harmful not only to tourism but the general business environment.

Ensure appropriate security and police presence in heavy tourist areas. Make significant investments to maintain, improve and secure public spaces in tourism-oriented districts and surrounding areas. Consistently enforce code compliance for small and large blighted properties downtown. Employ strategies to reduce loitering, vagrancy, and homelessness.

6. Strengthen hospitality and retail workforce development programs within the tourism industry to maintain and improve the quality and consistency of customer service. Who: Business working with public schools, Job 1, Delgado Community College When: Next five years Resources: Local, state and federal funds

Work with the public schools, Job 1, and Delgado Community College to ensure that an adequate workforce training system is in place to provide the qualified workers that the industry needs. Create career paths and post-placement training to reduce turnover, increase workforce productivity and enable employers to pay higher wages.

3.B Preserve and expand the arts and culture industries.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Market the city as an arts and cultural center to locals, visitors, potential visitors, and arts competitions. Who: Tourism and arts organizations, Arts Council of New Orleans When: Next five years Resources: Business funding, city economic development funds

Work with established cultural organizations, such as the Arts Council, to promote the development of cultural industries in a strategic and comprehensive way. Work with the private and philanthropic sectors to increase funding for nonprofit cultural organizations. Create a dedicated staff position to serve as primary liaison between the City and the Arts and Culture community.

Strengthen the existing relationship with the Arts Council of New Orleans, the City's official arts agency, and the CVB to promote the development of cultural industries in a strategic and comprehensive way. The City should work with the Arts Council of New Orleans to implement initiatives such as: cultural planning, public art and civic design review, cultural equity grants to support citizen creativity, artist professional development, and expanding percent for art and art in public places projects. Support the creation of a Master Plan for Public Art and Civic Design to guide strategic investments throughout the city.

2. Identify and preserve existing cultural facilities and venues, and work to develop additional spaces. Who: Office of Cultural Economy, tourism and arts organizations, Arts Council of New Orleans When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

New Orleans needs more small-scale performance and exhibition spaces. Neighborhood cultural spaces would provide exposure and income-generating opportunities for local artists, create livelier neighborhood commercial centers, and bring visitors from outside these neighborhoods who would also patronize local shops and restaurants. Proposals have already been aired to incorporate such facilities into libraries and recreation centers.

Provide funding for an expanded public art program in public buildings, parks, and along public rights of way. Continue to fund the One Percent for Art program. Work with the Arts Council to explore increasing the percentage of municipal project budgets dedicated to public art, and consider expanding the ordinance to private developments. Work with public-private partnerships to adaptively reuse surplus public buildings and abandoned buildings as affordable studio, exhibition and performance space. Enhance arts and live music programming in Armstrong Park and Congo Square. Support the Reinventing the Crescent riverfront plan in creating a live performance amphitheater along the Mississippi River. Create new opportunities for context-sensitive neighborhood performance spaces, art galleries and studio spaces to bring in visitors to support local artists and create livelier neighborhood commercial centers. Support the development of a micro-grant program to provide seed capital for small arts and performance venues.

3. Support more comprehensive and coordinated workforce and cultural entrepreneurship training. Who: Job 1, Arts Council of New Orleans When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

Expand business training and marketing assistance for cultural entrepreneurs.

Broad marketing efforts will be more effective if individual cultural organizations, enterprises and independent artists become more market-savvy. Entrepreneurship programs that help cultural business to develop effective marketing strategies and strengthen other business practices will further enhance marketing efforts. Programs such as the Arts Council’s Arts Business Program and the Jazz and Heritage Foundation’s marketing assistance fulfills this function to some degree but are limited by funding constraints.

Increase funding for arts and music education in New Orleans Public Schools to create a world-class arts education curriculum to develop emerging talent needed to sustain the city's cultural base and provide supplemental employment opportunities for local artists.

Cultural education efforts aimed at K–12 students are currently small-scale and fragmented. Integrating cultural curricula into all K–12 schools, building on State Act 175, and hiring educators from within the local cultural community to teach these classes would help to develop the emerging talent needed to sustain the city's cultural base in the next generation.

4. Encourage policies to make New Orleans a more appealing and affordable environment for creative professionals. Who: DDD, Office of Cultural Economy, Office of Community Development, Arts Council of New Orleans When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

*Market New Orleans as an affordable, attractive place for artists to live through web sites, publications and educational institutions. *Advocate for changes in local and state tax structure to reduce the tax burden on arts-related income and sales. In 2007 the state legislature rejected a proposed income tax credit for artists. Passage of such a measure would enhance after-tax income for artists, making it easier for artists with limited incomes to remain in New Orleans and attracting additional artists to the city. *Provide a range of affordable housing options for artists, musicians, and other creative professionals, including using land trusts to ensure continued affordability for communities with large concentrations of creative professionals. Suitable light industrial areas should be zoned to allow live-work studios for artists. *Work to preserve tax incentives (such as the Angel Investor Tax Credit)

Artists who meet income eligibility requirements can take advantage of the city's affordable housing programs. The city can also assist artists in creating limited-equity cooperatives or other housing solutions in decommissioned schools and similar sites. (See Chapter 5 Neighborhoods and Housing for more on housing.)

5. Support more comprehensive and coordinated cultural marketing approaches including efforts targeted at different industry segments. Who: Office of Cultural Economy, Arts Council of New Orleans When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

*Tailor marketing strategies and tools to distinct market segments—city and regional residents, visitors, and purchasers of cultural products for export to non-local markets (e.g., festival buyers, exhibit organizers). *Provide public funding to sponsor art, design, and literary competitions to preserve cultural traditions.

6. Market and invest in Arts and state-designated Cultural Product Districts. Who: Community Development, Arts Council of New Orleans When: Next five years Resources: State funds, CDBG, private investment with tax credits.

Arts and Culture Overlay districts allow for a variety of cultural uses in targeted neighborhoods around the city. The original ACO districts have developed into tourist and local destinations (Freret & Frenchmen), proving the success of the designation in encouraging cultural development.

*Market the Arts and Culture Overlay districts as destinations to experience New Orleans culture. *Support the development of diverse uses in the districts, including live entertainment venues, live performance venues, art galleries, and restaurants.

Help maintain these districts through regular enforcement of district regulations. Support cultural product districts which provide tax incentives for sale of cultural products within its boundaries.

7. Provide support for innovations in the cultural economy that connect indigenous culture producers equitably to opportunities and customers. Who: Mayor's Office, Office of Cultural Economy, Arts Council of New Orleans When: Next five years Resources: General funds, Grant funds

3.C Preserve and expand the port and maritime industries while ensuring compatibility with adjacent land uses.

The ability to complete key infrastructure improvements will in large part shape the Port's ability to enhance its competitiveness in key maritime markets, most notably in container shipping. Continued recognition of the importance of intergovernmental relationships is essential to the Port's continued success. Moreover, early discussion and community process around potential neighborhood impacts of port improvements can help resolve conflicts and lead to more timely completion.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Further increase coordination among the Port of New Orleans, city agencies, and economic development organizations to best address issues and advocate for funding. Who: Mayor's office, Port, NOLABA, city agencies When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   Complete and implement updated Port of New Orleans Master Plan.

2. Support investment in capital improvements recommended in the Port's Master Plan to make the Port of New Orleans the leader among Gulf Coast port facilities, while preserving quality of life for New Orleans residents. Who: Port and city agencies When: Next five years Resources: State and federal funds, port funds

   Support Port efforts to secure state and federal infrastructure funding. Increase capacity at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal to position the port to capture increased container shipping resulting from the Panama Canal expansion. Work collaboratively to improve the highway capacity leading to the Port's main ingress/egress at Felicity and Tchoupitoulas, while managing development and competing demands for connecting roadways that are already experience high traffic demand from a variety of commuter, convention and trucking users.

3. Seek to increase value-added manufacturing and distribution activities on port-owned industrial land. Who: Port, GNO, Inc., LED, NOLABA When: Next five years Resources: Port funds, NOLABA

Local economic development capacity is needed to further maximize the potential for increased port-related value-added manufacturing and distribution activity resulting from increases in container and break bulk volumes. Properties along the Industrial Canal represent some of the best opportunities for capturing value-added industry within the city. These properties offer deep water access (through the Industrial Lock Canal) and a direct connection to the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. In coordination with other local and state economic development agencies (Louisiana Economic Development, Greater New Orleans, Inc., and NOLABA), the Port may be able to attract greater commercial interest in job generating capacity. While

development costs may be higher in industrially zoned areas of New Orleans, properties within the city offer greater proximity to the port and superior rail and interstate highway infrastructure. Enhanced Port involvement in economic development discussions could also help identify businesses and industries that specifically rely on deepwater access and port activities.

Conduct a market study to determine nature and extent of demand for manufacturing and distribution sites adjacent to the port. Develop a short and long range strategic plan for industrial uses along the Industrial Canal. Ensure that adequate infrastructure and zoning regulations are in place to facilitate business expansion. Utilize incentives to attract value-added industries.

4. Advocate for a cohesive state ports policy with respect to port investment. Who: Mayor's office When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

The state has five ports between Baton Rouge and the mouth of the Mississippi, each with its own port commission. A more strategic and coordinated approach to port investment specifically for these five ports that makes economic benefits to the state the paramount consideration would provide a more rational and predictable funding environment for all of the state's ports.

Support increased state funding to better compete with competitive Gulf Coast ports.

5. Secure financing for and construct a new cruise ship facility at Poland Avenue to expand cruise terminal capacity. Who: Port When: Medium term Resources: State and federal funds

Cruise ship activity has grown substantially at the Port of New Orleans over the past 15 years bringing additional tourist dollars to the city. Hurricane Katrina caused a temporary decline in passengers and cruise activity, but the industry has shown robust annual growth, and New Orleans has resumed its position as a major port of embarkation. Additional terminal capacity is needed, and the Port has identified the Poland Avenue wharf in Bywater as the only Port wharf suitable for expanding cruise capacity.

Advocate for funding for the Poland Avenue cruise terminal to increase potential total embarkations and tourist expenditures.

6. Utilize the port and port-owned land to support business development. Who: GNO, Inc., LED, Port, City When: Next five years Resources: staff time, port funds

Develop a site inventory of port-owned property suitable for manufacturing and distribution. Improve coordination of port marketing among state, regional and local economic development organizations to reduce redundancies and ensure that agencies' marketing efforts to draw value-added industries are complementary. Enhance marketing of and physical improvements to NORBP properties to accommodate companies in need of industrial property with strong rail connections, connections to interstates, and/or deepwater access. Provide business support to value-added start-ups and small businesses in transportation, national/international trade, logistics, and other maritime functions, possibly through the establishment of a business incubator.

Many challenges have impeded economic development and job creation at the New Orleans Regional Business Park. Improvements to flood protection along the Intercoastal Waterway and Industrial Canal will help to protect the security of businesses’ investments and should make NORBP properties more marketable.

3.D Preserve and expand advanced manufacturing. Monitor and advocate for continued NASA commitment at Michoud Assembly Facility.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Monitor and advocate for continued NASA commitment at Michoud Assembly Facility. Who: City, GNO, Inc., LED When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   Local, regional and state economic development leaders should jointly monitor developments and advocate for a continued federal commitment to Michoud. Collaborate with Mississippi officials to jointly advocate for Michoud and the nearby Stennis Space Center, which is also involved in the Constellation Program.

2. Recruit NASA tenants through strengthened recruitment efforts and improvements to the New Orleans Regional Business Park. Who: GNO, Inc., Louisiana Economic Development, Port, CPC When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   Work with NASA, GNO, Inc., NOLABA, and Louisiana Economic Development and target recruitment efforts for tenants of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility. Advocate for infrastructure improvements at New Orleans Regional Business Park (NORPB) to create a more attractive environment through zoning requirements, roadway improvements, landscaping and signage.

3. Support STEM education programs that are driven by industry demand. Who: Mayor’s office, City’s ITI department, local and state economic development leaders When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   Science and engineering programs play an essential role in producing the workforce to serve the advanced manufacturing industry and generate the research and development activities that attract industry firms.

   Produce data on jobs and occupations outlook in STEM fields. Develop specific credentialing programs at local higher education institutions. Encourage development of new applied sciences and engineering programs in higher education in emerging areas of specialization and industry development. Expose K-12 students to opportunities in STEM.

4. Continue to increase the number of workers in the skilled trades through training programs. Who: State and Local 2- and 4-year higher education institutions, Network for Economic Opportunity When: Next five years Resources: State, federal and private funding

   A recent study conducted for GNO Inc. found that advanced manufacturing employers in the region were experiencing shortages in workers in the skilled trades (e.g., welders, pipe fitters), production (e.g., machine tool operators and fabricators), and technical positions (e.g., engineering technicians, CAD operators).

Use employer data to develop training programs based on industry need.

5. Continue to recruit suppliers to diversify into other advanced manufacturing sectors. Who: NOLABA; GNO, Inc.; LED When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

Research already being conducted in New Orleans in areas such as composite materials and advanced welding techniques have applications in other industries including civilian aerospace, windenergy, automotive.

Market research capacity to established firms and new entrepreneurs to promote the expansion and diversification of advanced manufacturing in the city. Develop a supplier attraction strategy for existing regional manufacturers. Complete retention visits to existing businesses to determine needs.

3.E Preserve, expand and modernize the oil and gas industries. Significant growth opportunities exist for energy service firms in the near future as more advanced technologies are needed for increasingly difficult oil and gas extraction. New Orleans offers a competitive location for the management and professional/technical operations of energy service companies. In addition, if the eastern Gulf is opened to oil exploration, New Orleans will be well positioned to service the offshore oil industry’s transportation and logistical needs.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Support retention and expansion of existing energy services firms and their high-paying jobs by working with them to identify their needs and taking steps to address them. Who: NOLABA, GNO, Inc., oil and g a s When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   Assess market potential and develop a strategy to recruit additional firms/facilities for whom New Orleans’ proximity to oil and gas production and refining facilities offers a locational advantage. Identify needs for these firms and take the necessary steps to address them to better support retention and encourage expansion.

2. Attract and retain scientific, engineering and technical talent. Who: NOLABA, GNO, Inc., oil and g a s When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

One of the key industry issues identified in a GNO, Inc. study was workforce shortages, particularly geological and petroleum engineers and skilled production workers for refining and petrochemical production.

Work with local colleges and universities to explore options for petroleum engineering specializations in their engineering programs and develop internships or other connections with local firms.

3. Strengthen research and commercialization in advanced, environmental sustainable extraction and production technology. Who: Universities, oil and gas industry When: Medium term Resources: Grants and private funding

As environmental concerns increase particularly given New Orleans unique circumstance as a major population center, the industry needs more efficient and environmentally sustainable ways to produce oil and natural gas in increasingly fragile natural environments.

Strengthen the research capabilities of local universities to help the industry address these issues. Increase cooperative industry/university research to better retain existing firms and attract new ones to the city and region.

3.F Preserve and strengthen higher education as an established employment sector.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Foster policies and promote funding that support institutions of higher education in the knowledge-based economic growth of the city, in the development of the local workforce, and as significant contributors to the job sector. Who: Universities, city officials, local economic leaders When: Ongoing Resources: State, federal and private funding, local policies

3.G Preserve and expand skilled building trades.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Establish an educational/training program to teach the building trades, and to revitalize and perpetuate traditional mentoring and apprentice programs for practical and hands-on instruction in these building trades. Who: Universities, community colleges, vocational schools When: Next five years Resources: Federal, State, and private funding, local policies

THE CASE FOR A THRIVING BIOINNOVATION & HEALTH SERVICES INNOVATION CLUSTER:

New Orleans has the pieces in place to be at the forefront of advancing the future of healthcare and research in the United States, including an asset-rich landscape, a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, a multi-skilled workforce, and a patient population ripe for innovation.

Over the last decade, over $5 billion has been invested into state-of-the art, multi-specialty hospital and alternate care facilities including University Medical Center, VA Hospital, Cobalt Rehabilitation Hospital of New Orleans, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, and the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. New Orleans also boasts academic institutions with subject matter expertise such as Tulane University, LSU, and Xavier. Each of these institutions has diverse and complex clinical research capacity. The investments in healthcare facilities will continue to serve the regional population and attract future patients from New Orleans and beyond.

In 2014 Forbes named New Orleans the #1 Brain Magnet in America, and in 2015 SmartAsset named New Orleans the best U.S. City for Creatives. Thanks to generous state-wide incentive programs, a native culture welcoming to creatives, and pioneering home-grown entrepreneurs, New Orleans has fostered a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem and tech-focused environment. Incubators such as Propeller and the New Orleans BioInnovation Center have incubated companies that are merging technology and health to produce better therapies and health outcomes (see inset on next page). As New Orleans’ digital media and technology sectors continue to thrive, tremendous potential exists to grow the BioInnovation sector in New Orleans.

New Orleans’ skilled workforce is also an advantage to the health services sector and the emerging bio-tech industry, which offer opportunities to employ workforce at multiple skill levels.

STARS OF THE LIFE SCIENCES INNOVATION ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM

New Orleans’ incubators, the leaders of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, have been critical to turning ideas into scalable and marketable products and treatments. Below are examples of businesses created out of two incubators: Propeller and the New Orleans BioInnovation Center.

⬚ figure

Bausey Medical Solutions – uses telemedicine to lower the cost and increase the reach of healthcare

504HealthLearn – enhances training methods available to primary care providers and clinic support staff to improve delivery of care for underserved patients

Propeller

Harmony Health – provides high quality, comprehensive and accessible healthcare at an affordable patient cost

Clear Health Analytics – empowers consumers to make smarter health decisions by providing clear and unbiased cost comparison information

Zalgen Labs – develops tools to enhance diagnostic and prognostic evaluation

BioCeptive – creating intuitive, easy-to-use medical devices that expand access, improve health outcomes and reduce complications for women’s health

New Orleans BioInnovation Center

Better Day Health – a web platform that uses predictive modeling, 3rd-party applications & devices to leverage data, prompt action, facilitate collaboration, & proactively manage health

Flux Diagnostics – provides rapid and low cost in vitro diagnostics for detection of protein markers associated with various pathologies

GOAL 4

Fostering of emerging industries to expand economic opportunity for New Orleanians

4.A Expand the medical life sciences industry.

The strategic plan developed by the Regional Biosciences Initiative provides a road map for building the life sciences industry in New Orleans. Research institutions, government, economic development organizations, and other stakeholders must continue to work collaboratively to implement the strategy. A number of issues require particular attention in the short-term.

RECOMMENDED ACTION

1. Secure ongoing funding for initiatives of University Medical Center and the Louisiana Cancer Research Center. Who: Medical institutions, city leadership, BioDistrict When: Next five years/Ongoing Resources: Federal, state and local funding

   Advocate for funding from multiple sources for healthcare in New Orleans.

2. Provide planning leadership for the BioDistrict. Who: BioDistrict Board, NOLABA When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   Identify infrastructure and public realm investments, and identify appropriate uses for Charity Hospital, former VA building, Lindy Boggs, and other underutilized parcels. Establish Veterans Administration as a regional referral center for specialized healthcare for veterans. Coordinate higher education, research institutions, and hospitals to focus on identified areas of specialization.

3. Promote more collaboration among Institutions and leverage research synergies. Who: City and state leadership, NOBIC, NOLABA, NORIA, medical institutions When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   Develop a more robust, coordinated effort among life sciences research institutions and entrepreneurship development organizations to help local entrepreneurs commercialize locally-developed life sciences technologies. Support the development of new ventures using licensed university technologies and working collaboratively with university research staff.

4. Continue to foster an environment that attracts entrepreneurs to New Orleans with the management skills to move promising technologies into the marketplace. Who: NOLABA, NOBIC, business incubators, universities When: Medium term Resources: Staff time, private funding

   Increase seed and venture capital investment sources to finance startup and early stage life sciences companies. Leverage the state’s digital media incentives to attract healthcare companies operating in digital health, ranging from start-ups to established biomedical companies.

5. Work to maintain and expand funding for job training, higher education, and research in the life sciences.

Who: Universities, NOBIC, Network for Economic Opportunity, state officials When: Medium term Resources: Staff time

Support collaborations among education institutions and training providers to develop demand-driven workforce training and create career pathways. Introduce middle and high school students to life sciences research professions. Increase lab capacity in higher education institutions.

FILM/VIDEO, DIGITAL MEDIA AND OTHER CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

4.B Expand the film and video industry.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Retain and attract creative talent to New Orleans through marketing, incentives, workforce development programs and professional contacts. Who: NOLABA, LED, Office of Cultural Economy When: Next five years Resources: Staff time, private funding

   Market New Orleans as a film hub. Increase funding for education and workforce development programs to more fully meet the needs of the film industry. Work to stabilize film tax incentive program to ensure its long-term success and viability.

2. Develop production and post-production facilities and support services for the film, television and music production industry. Who: NOLABA Office of Cultural Economy When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   Work with the industry to identify criteria for facilities and then identify potential sites. Develop a streamlined permitting process for production facilities.

4.C. Work to encourage growth in the digital media industry

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Retain and attract creative talent to New Orleans through marketing, incentives, workforce development programs and professional contacts. Who: NOLABA, GNO Inc., LED, City ITI department When: Next five years Resources: Staff time, private funding

   Work with GNO Inc. and NOLABA to market New Orleans to outside digital media companies and to promote home-grown companies. Generate enthusiasm for New Orleans as a digital media hub and foster collaboration among digital media companies and incubators that support digital media companies. Work with K-12 and higher education to create a workforce pipeline aligned to the needs of the digital media industry. Work to improve the internet infrastructure in New Orleans and other smart city features (See 9.A. for more detail.). Encourage real estate growth and development targeted to needs of digital media community of businesses.

2. Provide business startup and entrepreneurial customized assistance to digital media companies. Who: NOLABA, GNO Inc., LED

When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

Increase the supply of seed and venture financing for locally-based startup and early stage digital companies. Support tax incentives that attract and retain digital media companies and jobs.

4.D. Recognize and support food manufacturing as an emerging industry

Create an equitable and sustainable plan for the expansion of the food ecosystem to include local opportunities from growing to manufacturing to distribution.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Establish a food hub/aggregator. Who: City, Food industry partners, Propeller When: Next five years Resources: Staff Time, private funds, grants

   Work with a collaborative of local farmers, small businesses, and artisan food manufactures as well as entrepreneurs and economic developers to establish a centralized food hub to distribute local agriculture and manufactured food to restaurants, grocery stores, and other retailers.

2. Establish a food incubator. Who: City, Food industry partners, Propeller When: Next five years Resources: Staff Time, private funds, grants

   Establish a government-approved commercial kitchen to promote small-batch, local, and artisan food production ventures. Build kitchen spaces and obtain equipment that can be shared, reducing costs and risk for food entrepreneurs.

3. Establish a meat and poultry processing plant. Who: City, Food industry partners, Propeller When: Next five years Resources: Staff Time, private funds, grants

   Establish a government-approved meat and poultry processing plant with modern equipment including packaging and labeling capability for shared use. Provide food safety training and training in creating HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) plans.

4. Convene business, entrepreneur, nonprofit, and community stakeholders in an advisory committee to develop and advance a food industry strategy. Who: Mayor's Office, Economic Development When: Next five years Resources: General funds

5. Establish a procedure that grants vacant land to local small growers for food production. Who: Code Enforcement, NORA, Property Management When: Next five years Resources: General funds

6. Establish a food manufacturing district (See Opportunity District: Poydras Row). Who: Mayor's Office, Economic Development

When: Next five years Resources: General funds, Grant funds, Loan funds

GOAL 5

Nurturing the development of new industries that capitalize on new market opportunities and New Orleans’ competitive strengths

5.A Support development of urban water management, green infrastructure, and coastal protection and restoration industries. Capitalize on New Orleans river delta location to attract firms involved in water management and coastal protection and restoration and to help local firms establish expertise in these fields.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Attract firms involved in coastal protection and restoration and urban water management. Who: NOLABA, GNO Inc., Louisiana Economic Development, The Data Center, Propeller When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

Market New Orleans aggressively to firms involved in coastal protection and restoration to management and engineering units that are particularly well-suited for city locations. Promote New Orleans as a location for professional and technical workers (e.g., science, engineering, architecture, planning) needed by the industry. Expand the research capacity of local research institutions and promote university/industry partnerships. Support locally-based energy service companies to expand into this market.

2. Prepare higher education and workforce training programs to fill jobs in these industries at all levels. Who: Colleges and universities, Job 1, S&WB, professional associations, non-profits When: Next five years Resources: Federal, state and local funding

Develop career pathways and assess the market demand for degrees and certificate programs in the field of green infrastructure and coastal restoration to inform course offerings.

5.B Leverage funding to support the development of the water management industry.

Leverage coastal restoration funding, including the RESTORE Act, and funds for urban water projects, including the HUD National Disaster Resilience Competition Grant, to support the development of water management industries. Capitalize on New Orleans urban water challenges within the levee system and external challenges of coastal restoration to attract firms involved in coastal restoration and urban water management.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Fully implement the Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan as recommended in the Resilient New Orleans strategy. Who: City of New Orleans When: First Five Years Resources: Staff time, NDRC funding, HMGP, etc.

2. Conduct a gap analysis of needs in the construction and maintenance of new infrastructure regimes related to green infrastructure, water management and coastal restoration.

Who: City of New Orleans, GNO, Inc. When: First Five Years Resources: Private Philanthropy

5.C Build on the industry cultivation and implementation of plans such as the Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan and Coastal Master Plan to export specialized water expertise nationally and internationally.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Create a marketing plan for water industries and specializations in Southeast Louisiana for national/international audiences. Who: GNO, Inc., NOLABA When: First Five Years Resources: Federal, State, Local and Private Philanthropy

2. Develop a Resiliency Hub for visiting delegations from universities, governments and federal agencies, where a unilateral message of core strengths, best practices, and unique specialties of New Orleans firms and businesses can be promoted. Who: City of New Orleans, Sewerage and Water Board, GNO, Inc., Tulane University When: First Five Years Resources: State, Local, Federal and Private Philanthropy

5.D Engage two and four years schools in creating the next generation of water workers and innovators, connecting programs to water based projects through demand-driven workforce engagement.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Link infrastructure programs, such as the Gentilly Resiliency District and new build-out and maintenance needs in green infrastructure to curricula as two and four year schools. Modeling initiatives after the successful Coastal Engineering and Sciences certificate program at UNO. Who: The Greater New Orleans Water Collaborative, Delgado Community College, University of New Orleans, Tulane University, Dillard University, Xavier University, GNO, Inc., Foundation for Louisiana When: First Five Years Resources: State, Local, Federal and Private Philanthropy

2. Explore opportunities for formalizing internship/apprentice programs in new green infrastructure trades in City contracts. Who: Delgado Community College, City of New Orleans When: First Five Years Resources: Federal, State and Local Funds

5.E Further the growth and development of a water-cluster through supporting entrepreneurship and local businesses engaging in the water field.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Support initiatives of local accelerators and entrepreneurs, such as the Water Challenge, by identifying opportunities in City contracts to test and explore innovative products and materials. Who: Propeller, GNO, Inc., NOLABA When: First Five Years Resources: Staff Time

5.F Support development of green energy industries such as river, solar and wind energy.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Conduct market and competitive analysis to validate green energy industry development opportunities in New Orleans. Who: NOLABA, Louisiana Economic Development When: Next five years Resources: PPP funds

2. Train workers for green energy industry jobs. Who: Colleges and universities, Job 1 When: Next five years Resources: Federal, state and local funding

3. Provide incentives and regulatory conditions for location of research and production in hydrokinetic, solar, and wind energy. Who: GNO Inc., Louisiana Economic Development When: Medium term Resources: State funding

5.G Support development of a sustainable building design and construction industry. Capitalize on the potential for significant new business development and job creation in the alternative energy, energy and water efficiency, and stormwater management fields.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Capitalize on the potential for significant new business development and job creation in the alternative energy field. Who: NOLABA, GNO, Inc. When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

Ensure zoning laws to provide for the range of uses and facilities necessary to support these technologies/industries. Market New Orleans as a laboratory for green energy and green infrastructure innovation. Provide incentives for location of research and production facilities in hydrokinetic, solar and wind energy. Work with Louisiana Economic Development and GNO Inc. to provide location incentives and site location assistance for targeted green industries to locate facilities in New Orleans. Promote the expansion of relevant university research capacity. Support increased funding for local university research and education in green science and technology fields with economic potential for the New Orleans region. Develop sufficient capacity for energy production and the transmission infrastructure to export power outside the region. Promote water reuse and water efficiency as preferred alternatives to groundwater withdrawal by conventional energy facilities.

2. Train workers for new green energy jobs. Who: Workforce Development, Job 1 When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

Develop green industry workforce training programs.

3. Ensure that any public tax advantage program, such as PILOT or TIF, have preservation and rehabilitation of historic properties as a priority for the city when historic properties are present in the subject area. Who: Economic Development

When: Ongoing Resources: Staff time

5.H Encourage significant job creation in sustainable building design and construction through marketing incentives and workforce training opportunities.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Develop incentives (e.g., through building regulation) and training for construction companies to adopt advanced construction methods. Who: LED When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

Market New Orleans as a center of advanced building design to attract more companies. Build university research capacity in green/advanced building design. Provide construction workers with relevant skills. Assist design and construction companies to export their expertise to other housing markets.

2. Capitalize on the emerging carbon credit market through energy-efficient construction to generate income for property developers and government. Who: Green Rebuilding; non profits When: First Next five years Resources: Staff time

5.I Connect residents to both the civic and individual opportunities that capitalize on New Orleans’ competitive strengths

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Establish a series of Neighborhood Roundtables and community working groups. Who: Office of Neighborhood Engagement, Office of Economic Development When: Next five years Resources: General funds

GOAL 6

A well-educated and skilled workforce and state-of-the-art workforce development programs

6.A Maintain and strengthen the role of higher education in economic development.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Advocate for sufficient funding for the city's public colleges and universities to support critical academic and research programs and maintain educational quality. Who: City leadership and state delegation When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

As the city's higher education institutions work to restore facilities and programs affected by Hurricane Katrina and as state institutions face the prospect of severe state budget cuts, business, government, and civic leadership should offer all possible support to local colleges and universities in securing needed funding:

Work with the local state legislative delegation to advocate for a reduction or reversal of proposed cuts in the state’s higher education budget. Work with the state’s congressional delegation to advocate for increased FEMA compensation for damaged facilities. Raise local awareness of the role of higher education in the city’s economy and generate additional corporate, philanthropic and individual contributions to local institutions.

While institutions will continue to rely primarily on their own fund raising efforts, economic development stakeholders should consult with higher education leaders about what actions can best improve the funding environment for all institutions. The proposed NOLABA could play a convening role in this effort.

2. Enhance communication and cooperation between higher education and key industries. Who: GNO, Inc. When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

Work with higher education institutions to identify and address the evolving educational and research needs of key economic base industries.

The city’s higher education institutions strive to develop education and research programs that are of value to the local community. They could be assisted in this regard by the development of a structure for ongoing communications with local industry about evolving education and research needs. Directors of relevant academic departments or research programs could be invited to sit on working groups or to attend periodic meetings. This would afford them the opportunity to learn more about industry needs and to solicit support from industry for new initiatives. These discussions could also lead to the development of cooperative industry/university programs to strengthen educational or research capacity in particular academic disciplines.

6.B Ensure that every student graduates from high school with basic work skills or is prepared to advance to post-secondary education.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Establish a Business-School Partnership for Career Preparation that involves all schools and functions as a single contact point for businesses to work with such programs. Who: Business Council, Chamber of Commerce, school system, eventual coordination with Southeast Regional Alliance When: Next five years Resources: Private funding, school staff time

A partnership involves all schools and community-based career preparation programs will provide a single contact point for businesses with such programs. Given the fragmented structure of public school administration in New Orleans, businesses risk being faced with multiple requests from a number of different schools. The existence of the partnership will provide the incentive for schools to work collaboratively to coordinate their interactions with the business community.

This initiative will require the leadership of a local business organization such as the New Orleans Business Council or the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce. The business organization and the schools could share the costs of the personnel required to staff the partnership. This would likely reduce the costs to the schools, which now each have their own staff to conduct business outreach. While the program should start at the local level, it could eventually be coordinated with regional efforts through the Southeast Regional Alliance.

A number of new initiatives have created momentum toward strengthening career preparation for youth through the schools and community-based organizations. Increased participation by the business community will be essential to maintaining that momentum, including:

Providing job shadowing, internship and summer job opportunities. Providing input on curriculum, and on expectations regarding work skills, competencies and behavior. Providing equipment donations, class presentations, and individual mentoring.

2. Establish an early-college education program in high school to promote acquisition of a postsecondary credential, even for students who do not plan on pursuing a four-year college program. Who: School system, Delgado Community College, business-school partnership if created When: Next five years Resources: State and local school funds

An increasing number of K–12 schools and community colleges around the nation are developing early college high school programs. This is a priority in the Louisiana Department of Education’s high school redesign initiative. These programs encourage high school students, particularly those who do not plan to attend a four-year college, to focus on career development and ease their path toward gaining a post-secondary credential. Business and economic development organizations should strongly encourage the RSD, Orleans Parish School District, and charter high schools to work with Delgado Community College to establish such a program. The proposed business-school partnership for career preparation would provide a useful forum for discussion of this issue.

6.C Expand and improve coordination of the adult workforce development system to more effectively meet the needs of both workers and employers.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Expand sites and technical education programs for adult workforce training at Delgado Community College. Who: Louisiana Technical College, Delgado Community College, Job 1 When: Next five years Resources: State and federal funds

The closure of Louisiana Technical College’s Sidney Collier campus has meant that New Orleans students have to travel to the Jefferson, West Jefferson, or Slidell campuses for a number of certificate and diploma-level technical education programs, including skilled trades, automotive, office technology, and lower-level allied health occupations. In March 2009, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System announced a commitment of $11.9 million in bond funding to purchase land for a new New Orleans’ campus and to construct new buildings. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2013. Business and economic development organizations should work with Delgado and the city’s legislative delegation to ensure that the project proceeds on schedule (if not earlier) and is sufficiently funded to provide state-of-the-art training in critical technical occupations. The business community should also begin discussions with Delgado about programming needs and how it can support program development.

2. Increase the number of sites for adult education and satellite Job 1 Career Centers. Who: Delgado Community College with manufactures, Job 1 When: Next five years Resources: State and private funds

Providing additional sites for adult education programs and satellite Job 1 Career Centers would expand access to career development services for adults, particularly those who live in neighborhoods that are distant from existing facilities. One option would be to design new

neighborhood libraries to include space for such facilities. This could include classroom space and computer banks. Existing adult education programs and Job 1 would provide staffing, which would require additional funding. Additional costs could be minimized by recruiting volunteers for some functions such as computer literacy training, building on the volunteer ethos that has developed since Hurricane Katrina. Another possibility would be to outfit classrooms with distance learning equipment so that classes could be taught remotely with volunteer tutors on-site.

3. Establish workforce Centers of Excellence in key economic base industries. Who: Delgado Community College with Shipyards; Job 1 When: Next five years Resources: State and private funds

Centers for Excellence develop training and certification programs based on competencies defined by various industries. Delgado should work with industry working groups established within the various base industry sectors.

4. Establish a construction trades pre-apprenticeship program. Who: Job 1 and other workforce development organizations When: Next five years Resources: Federal funds

Workers who might otherwise enter the construction trades often have skill deficits or other employment barriers that disqualify them. To address this issue, a construction trades pre- employment program should be established. The program would consist of a coordinated system of outreach and recruitment, assessment, case management, pre-employment preparation, job training, placement, and retention services. The program could be led by Job 1 with participation by other workforce development organizations. Additional workforce development funding flowing to workforce investment boards from the federal stimulus package is a potential funding source for such a program.

5. Improve coordination among workforce development service providers and integrate client services. Who: Job 1 and United Way When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

Workers seeking to enter the workforce or transition to new jobs often need a multiplicity of services in order to obtain and maintain employment. The challenge of finding and obtaining the right services can create obstacles to success. At the same time, individual workforce development organizations recognize that their services alone are often not enough to produce the employment outcomes on which they measure their success. Workforce development professionals acknowledge that service delivery is fragmented and that it is difficult even to identify all of the available resources, much less coordinate client services among organizations.

Workforce development and human services organizations should organize an initiative to address this issue, possibly through the joint leadership of Job 1 and the United Way. A first step would be to develop a comprehensive inventory of relevant programs and services, develop tools to share this information, and establish a mechanism to keep the information up to date. A second step would be to establish protocols to facilitate referrals and establish a common information base to track client progress. A longer-term step would be to develop a common system of case management that would enable organizations to more effectively coordinate and integrate services tailored to the needs of each client.

In addition to improving services and outcomes for clients, this initiative would also help service providers to better assess gaps in services and work together and with other community stakeholders to address these gaps.

6. Establish a workforce development working group within the NOLABA. Who: NOLABA When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

The ability to address workforce needs is key to the success of business recruitment, retention and expansion efforts. The NOLABA should establish a workforce development working group with Job 1, Delgado, and other workforce development organizations in order to both exchange information about how to better address business workforce development needs and to develop a process to respond effectively to requests by individual businesses for worker recruitment and training services.

6.D Employers benefit from Develop a pipeline of high quality candidates to benefit employers.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Develop a wide variety of training programs across industries and skill levels. Who: Mayor's Office, Office of Workforce Development When: Next five years Resources: General funds, Grant funds

2. Increase availability of skilled trades and workforce development in more schools, including green, advanced manufacturing, technology, arts, and culinary fields. Who: Office of Workforce Development, OPSB, Educate Now! When: Next five years Resources: General funds, Grant funds, OPSB funds, Educate Now! funds

3. Residents/community partners well-informed about available workforce and training programs. Who: Office of Neighborhood Engagement, Office of Workforce Development When: Next five years Resources: General funds

6.E Encourage tourism industry to invest in workforce training and entrepreneurship development programs.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Facilitate businesses to partner with education providers to deliver internships/ mentorships, career exploration, employee volunteerism, facilities, relationship building, funding for music rooms, computer labs, etc. Who: NOLABA, NOMTC, NOCVB When: Next five years Resources: NOLABA funds, NOMTC funds, industry partner funds

6.F Provide active enforcement of local hire and living wage policies.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Hire staff, purchase software, and other resources to provide ongoing compliance monitoring of HireNOLA and Living Wage policies. Who: Mayor's Office, Office of Workforce Development When: Ongoing

Resources: General funds for staff positions (i.e. compliance officers) and online compliance management system

6.G Encourage and incentivize local contracting.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Targeted outreach and inclusion strategies for certified small and disadvantaged businesses. Who: Office of Supplier Diversity. When: Ongoing Resources: Unified Certification and Opportunity Center (UCOC), DBE policy and procedures, Restoration Tax Abatement (RTA) credits, Industrial Development Board bonds

GOAL 7

An entrepreneurial culture

7.A Support the development of new entrepreneurial ventures. New Orleans’ higher education institutions develop and license technologies that have the potential to fuel the development of local, high-growth technology-based enterprises, particularly in the life sciences field. They also employ research staff in a range of academic disciplines that can support local enterprises through cooperative industry/university research. However, local research activities have not played a large role in new enterprise development. As noted earlier, the infrastructure for technology-based enterprise development in New Orleans is not fully developed, with gaps in key resources such as seed capital and specialized professional and management support. More aggressively capitalizing on these resources could accelerate the development of the city’s technology-based economy.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Support and promote the BioInnovation Center. Who: BioInnovation Center stakeholders When: Next five years Resources: Center funding

   Continue to assist in the development of biosciences firms seeking to commercialize technologies developed by local research institutions. In addition to developing wet lab and other business space in its new incubator, work with partner institutions to identify technologies with commercialization potential, and connect entrepreneurs with researchers, seed capital, and specialized business assistance. Monitor progress to assess the model’s effectiveness in supporting biosciences startups, determine whether additional resources or capacity are needed to make this experiment a success, and assist the Center to address identified resource and capacity gaps. This role could be played by the NOLABA and the BioDistrict Board. Continue to develop a broad strategy to build the local research base across technology specializations and develop the organizational structures and resources to develop a significant cluster of technology-based enterprises. Support and advocate for the Angel Investor tax credit.

2. Ensure the availability of commercial space for startup ventures. Who: NOLABA, CPC When: Next five years Resources: NOLABA funds

   A number of private and non-profit developers are developing space for new business ventures, including business incubators, other facilities with shared space and services

designed to reduce business costs, and specialized facilities targeted to firms in certain industries such as biosciences, green industry, and digital media.

The NOLABA should work with developers to identify appropriate buildings and sites, provide information about existing financial incentives, and assist with incentive application processes and local regulatory approvals. As the NOLABA becomes more familiar with the unique needs of these development projects, it can also work with city government to develop more tailored financial incentives, review and, if appropriate, propose revisions to land use regulations and building codes that unnecessarily inhibit development of such projects.

Through the new zoning ordinance, ensure that there is adequate space for affordable commercial property for start-up companies throughout the city. Promote the development of “cool spaces” in lively areas of the city, preferred by young, tech-savvy entrepreneurs.

7.B Enhance existing emphasis on entrepreneurship by incorporating the small- and micro-business base.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Establish and support a Cultural Innovation District. Who: Mayor’s Office When: Next five years Resources: General funds, Grant funds, Loan funds

GOAL 8

A vibrant local small-business base

8.A Sustain and grow the city’s small- and micro-business base.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Improve coordination of small business assistance services. Who: Office of Economic Development, NOLABA, LSBDC, SBA, Goldman Sach’s 10,000 small businesses, business incubators When: Next five years Resources: Grant funding

As noted earlier, there are a large number of programs in New Orleans providing small business financing and technical assistance. The number of programs grew considerably after Hurricane Katrina as a number of organizations established programs to support business recovery. While this is a positive development, it can complicate the efforts of existing or prospective small business owners to identify and access the assistance that is best tailored to their needs. Improved organizational coordination could yield a number of benefits such as:

Share information about the specific services and eligibility criteria of each organization on City website and Guide to doing business in New Orleans. Promote small business participation in business development programs like Goldman Sach’s 10,000 small businesses or accelerator programs at business incubators. Host business information sessions that connect business owners and entrepreneurs to business assistance providers.

Common assessment and referrals so that whichever organization a business initially approached, a match with the most appropriate provider could be more easily made. Collaboration on staff training and professional development and possibly certification standards to improve staff proficiency. Common outcome metrics to help organizations track the progress of client businesses and assess their performance. Improved coordination to identify gaps in services or financing tools and enable organizations to work collaboratively to address these gaps. Establishment of a pool of shared specialized business consultants. A common business mentoring program with local business organizations. Joint marketing tools, such as a small business assistance web portal.

Additional staffing will be required to manage these additional responsibilities.

2. Organize and streamline comprehensive business permitting process through the One Stop Shop. Who: One Stop Shop, Dept. of Safety and Permits, Dept. of Revenue When: Next five years/Ongoing Resources: General Fund, permit fees

The city should continue to address bureaucratic hurdles to licensing and the permitting process and a strict implementation timeline.

Continue to update and review ways to streamline the permitting process and respond to concerns of business communities and individuals.

3. Improve access to public contracting opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses. Who: Office of Supplier Diversity, Procurement When: Next five years/Ongoing Resources: Staff time

While the city and many of its independent public agencies have established programs to promote contracting to targeted small, minority and disadvantaged business enterprises, these programs have not been used to their fullest extent. Public agencies with special contracting programs can address these issues by establishing a collaborative small contractor support initiative. Common policies and procedures that would make it easier for targeted small businesses to qualify and compete for designated contracting opportunities include:

Joint communications tools to advertise all contracting opportunities. Establishment of a single qualification process. Sufficient staffing to turn around applications in a timely manner. Contract structures and bidding processes that facilitate targeted business participation such as:

• Break larger master contracts into smaller pieces to increase bidding opportunities for smaller contractors.
• Structure contracting process to give smaller contractors larger pieces of fewer jobs to lessen their administrative burden.

Another factor that inhibits small contractor participation in these programs is the inability to obtain surety bonds of sufficient amounts from private financing sources. The Collaborative for Enterprise Development or the new small business partnership now under consideration by the city should explore the establishment of a small contractor bonding program to address this issue.

8.B Provide a wide variety of business supports across industries and skill levels, including small- and micro-business base.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Trainings and programming delivered through City and community programs and Cultural Innovation District. Who: Mayor’s Office, Office of Supplier Diversity When: Next five years Resources: General funds, Grant funds

8.C Encourage the value of supporting local businesses for both residents and businesses.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Encourage the proactive procurement of products and services from local businesses. Who: Office of Supplier Diversity When: Next five years Resources: General funds

2. Drive local spending to increase tax base through municipal support of a “buy local” marketing campaign. Who: Mayor’s Office, Office of Economic Development, NOLABA, GNO, Inc. When: Next five years Resources: General fund, Grant funds, NOLABA funds, GNO, Inc. funds

8.D Encourage balance in economic development through investment in big business, small business, and micro-business.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Identify and leverage sources of capital to support business development Who: Office of Supplier Diversity, NOLABA When: Next five years Resources: BuildNOLA Mobilization Fund; Economic Development Fund (EDF); NOLABA Small Business Ecosystem; Local and Community Banks; Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) credits; New Market Tax Credits; Restoration Tax Abatement (RTA) credits; Industrial Development Board bonds; Alliance for Economic Inclusion and FDIC.

GOAL 9

A 24-hour downtown to support its role as an economic driver

9.A Revitalize downtown New Orleans and Canal Street and transform downtown into a thriving, mixed use urban center.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Improve and enhance downtown as a vibrant mix of urban districts for work, entertainment, shopping and living. Who: DDD, City officials, City ITI Department When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   A center for business and commerce. A marketplace of mixed-use development with enough residences and businesses to sustain a robust retail market. A great neighborhood to live that is safe and has accessible amenities. The world’s meeting place in the convention center. A center of culture and tourism. Support DDD’s pilot program to bring unoccupied upper floors back into commerce. Support development of more family-friendly attractions downtown. Encourage smart city infrastructure, including Wi-Fi, internet fiber infrastructure, and other technological innovations that attract millennials and digital media businesses.

2. Pursue public/private partnerships and land assembly in critical locations to expedite infill redevelopment. Who: DDD, City officials When: Next five years Resources: Staff time, DDD and City resources

   Consolidation of key parcels would make them more marketable and would allow for greater flexibility in redevelopment. Foster collaboration among public and private partners to develop key City-owned and blighted parcels such as Piazza D’Italia.

3. Continue to support the renovation of downtown theater venues and the realization of the theater district initiative. Who: DDD, Canal Street Development Corporation When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   The Downtown Development District and the City should continue to pursue the renovation Loew’s State Palace Theater, working closely with the owners to identify financing and/or potential investors. The city could also pursue the path that it has taken with the Saenger Theater and take an active ownership role in restoring the State Palace.

4. Improve the retail market along Canal Street to reestablish it as one of the city’s primary commercial corridors. Who: DDD, Canal Street Development Corporation, Code Enforcement, CPC, NOLABA When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   Identify priority “keystone” properties and “keystone” retailers to catalyze market momentum and attract further investment.

Along Canal Street, efforts at redevelopment should be directed especially towards the Riverfront end of Canal. If a continuous swath of quality commercial and mixed use development could be generated in this area, subsequent investment would likely ensue, driving activity further up Canal Street.

Provide incentives and gap financing to “signature” local and national retailers to locate along Canal Street.

In addition to working with property owners to redevelop physical structures along Canal, the City and DDD should also consider the use of direct financial inducements such as HUD Section 108 loans to the “keystone” retailers who would occupy those structures.

Clarify and enforce permissible uses of commercial spaces on Canal Street.

[Recommendations for Neighborhood Commercial Districts can be found in Chapter 5.]

5. Continue to market the use of tax credits and other incentives to encourage the rehabilitation of historic structures and new construction. Who: City Officials, DDD, Canal Street Development Corporation When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

The City and DDD must remain aggressive in reaching out to property owners and developers to ensure that they are aware of GO Zone incentives, legislation such as expanded New Markets Tax Credits, Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits, and Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The City and DDD should also direct stakeholders to the resources that can help to guide them through the considerable technical, legal, and financial requirements of these programs. The City should also push Congress for a long-term extension of the GO Zone program both to maintain stalled projects’ eligibility for the subsidies and to facilitate more of a phased (though still substantial) pace of redevelopment.

Develop a set of predictable, transparent public incentive tools to encourage development at the local level. Identify development needs; align public incentives to need; invest in development projects that are aligned to identified needs. Market incentives and make efforts to help developers succeed in meeting DBE, Local Hire and other requirements.

6. Continue agressive code enforcement to ensure code compliance. Who: HDLC, Code Enforcement When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

Code enforcement must continue to be a priority to ensure the orderly appearance of downtown and Canal Street and to limit the growth of illegal, nuisance uses.

7. Ensure that new development throughout downtown meets the highest standards for context sensitivity and overall design quality. Who: CPC When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

The design guidelines in the new zoning ordinance ensure that new construction actually adds value and character to downtown streets, which will in turn attract additional investment. New zoning and design guidelines insist on a more attractive treatment of on- site parking, building facades that encourage pedestrian activity and engage the street, and a higher standard for building materials and overall design quality.

While taking into consideration the scale of existing and adjacent neighborhoods, the new zoning regulations also allow sufficient capacity in height and density to encourage the redevelopment of surface parking lots.

8. Provide incentives to facilitate safe and enhanced occupancy of vacant upper floors of buildings in the CBD and nearby Vieux Carré, and other historic commercial areas. Who: Economic Development When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

9.B Enhance transit, pedestrian and bicycle access to and within downtown as part of a larger equitable system of access across the city.

The transportation element of this Plan (Chapter 13) outlines some of the specific route adjustments, performance improvements, and other changes that the RTA should implement to attract more riders. All of these improvements will greatly improve transit access to downtown and will therefore make downtown a more compelling destination for work, shopping, and entertainment. However, many improvements specifically targeted to downtown would make for a more inviting, accessible, and pedestrian friendly environment.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Implement policies that encourage efficient management of the curb space in the downtown area and along commercial corridors. Who: DDD, DPW When: Next five years Resources: Staff time

   Use data to inform planning for pedestrian and vehicular traffic and parking. Update and repair pedestrian and vehicular wayfinding signage. Expand wayfinding from Downtown to city-wide. Support bike- and car-share initiatives.

2. Improve the pedestrian environment throughout downtown. Who: DDD, DPW When: Next five years Resources: Staff time; bonds

Streetscape improvements are needed, similar to the improvements in the Rampart / Loyola corridor, to set the stage for redevelopment along a number of corridors: the Tulane Avenue corridor adjacent to the Tulane Medical Center and the shuttered VA and Charity hospitals. In order to create additional access points to the Riverwalk, increase ridership on the Riverfront Streetcar, and enliven the streetscape on Convention Center Boulevard, a number of pedestrian access points should be created. These pedestrian promenades should be clearly demarcated, visible, attractively landscaped, and should incorporate commercial development to ensure that they remain active and safe. In order to pilot test potential streetscape improvements, the City and DDD can work the Arts Council of New Orleans to develop a “Pavement to Parks” initiative. The initiative would encourage the development of temporary, low-cost parakettes and plazas throughout these areas.

>Invest in sidewalk repair and accessibility.
>Create a thoughtful and clearly marked walkable path outside of the French Quarter to bring tourists to other areas of downtown.

3. Enhance bicycle connectivity to downtown through the provision of bike infrastructure. Who: DDD, DPW; Project Delivery Unit When: Next five years

Resources: D-CDBG; bonds; Staff time

The Transportation element of this Plan (See Chapter 13) outlines a number of specific recommendations for improving the bicycle infrastructure of the entire city.

Support bike share initiatives.

4. Consider incentivizing the development of downtown parking structures as multi-modal transit hubs that include facilities/amenities to encourage biking and walking. Who: Arts Council of New Orleans, DDD, CPC When: Next five years Resources: Arts Council and DDD funds, Staff time

The City should encourage and incentivize the development and rehabilitation of downtown parking structures that provide amenities to encourage biking and walking (i.e. showers, lockers and locker rooms, bike parking and bike share, green spaces, and public art).

5. Ensure that the City’s affordable housing policy locates housing in areas adjacent to transit which will provide access to downtown and other job centers. Who: Office of Community Development, Office of Economic Development, GNOHA When: Next one to two years Resources: General funds, Grant funds

9.C Make investments to public parks, buildings and other facilities to attract private investment.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Continue improvement to public spaces and building such as Armstrong Park and Municipal Auditorium. Who: Project Delivery Unit When: Next five years Resources: Recovery funds, bonds

   Build upon recent renovations to Armstrong Park to improve access, visibility, and amenities.

   In preparation for the reopening of the Mahalia Jackson Theater, the city completed incremental renovations to Armstrong Park. Additional improvements should include: improved access and more pedestrian entrances at the perimeter of the park; the installation of recreational facilities behind the Mahalia Jackson Theatre; the completion of the National Park Service’s proposed Jazz National Historical Park; and the renovation of the Municipal Auditorium.

2. Renovate the central library on Loyola Avenue and transform it into a “signature” public building. Who: Project Delivery Unit; Orleans Parish Library When: Medium term Resources: CDBG, bonds

   In a number of cities across the country such as Seattle and Chicago, the main public library serves as an iconic civic space.

3. Continue redevelopment of the Iberville Public Housing Development to create a new, mixed income community. Who: Housing Authority of New Orleans with private developers When: Next five years Resources: Federal funding

The Iberville Housing development, while long celebrated as the most desirable of New Orleans' public housing complexes, nevertheless suffered from violence and the effects of concentrated poverty. It is also seen as a major deterrent to additional investment along Canal Street and the Rampart Avenue corridor. Iberville's should be redevelopment as a mixed income development should be guided by a number of principles:

units must accommodate a broad range of incomes: from public housing units to market rate units; existing buildings should be largely preserved; community serving commercial development, such as a grocery store, should be incorporated into the redevelopment plans; and extensive social services, such as child care, youth development, and access to job training, should be incorporated into redevelopment plans.

GOAL 10

Cultural Preservation

10.A Connect businesses to partnerships that advance and strengthen the cultural economy

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Creation of a new Cultural Preservation chapter of the Master Plan that focuses on the people and traditions, the way the Historic Preservation chapter focuses on buildings and architecture. Who: Mayor's Office, Office of Cultural Economy, City Planning Commission When: Next five years Resources: General funds

Shared destiny involves promoting equity

E quity means fairness, equal opportunity, and treating everyone with respect and dignity. It is a concept of fundamental importance to every New Orleanian regardless of background, economic standing, or other kind of difference.

Louisiana’s constitution bans racial bias; the city charter states that New Orleans does not tolerate discrimination. Beyond basic fairness, equity today stands as an essential component of economic development: cities that compete most successfully for jobs and investment make sure that no one is denied basic rights and opportunities because of race, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.

While usually conceived of in purely economic terms, achieving equity takes many forms.

Employment: Enhancing Workforce Development The Master Plan outlines strategies for offering people of every education and skill level more opportunities for lifelong education and career development.

Entrepreneurship: Creating an Environment Friendly to Small Business Ensuring that economic-development initiatives benefit the full spectrum of the community, including small and minority-owned businesses, will require building the principle of inclusion into all economic development efforts.

Rebuilding: Making Strategic Investments in Neighborhoods According to Condition and Need Like all American cities, New Orleans must address disparities among neighborhoods by ensuring that each one receives the public investment in facilities and infrastructure it requires in order to thrive. The Master Plan outlines a range of condition-specific strategies for making public policy and investments that take into account differing neighborhood challenges and needs.

Civic: Creating a Business-Friendly Culture Within City Government A streamlined, business-friendly culture within city government contributes to equity by assuring access to business assistance and services for businesses of any size and instills confidence in both residents and potential investors from outside New Orleans. The Master Plan outlines steps the City can take to build a more transparent, responsive, and fair business climate.

Cultural: Support the Creative Contributions of Every Member of the New Orleans Community New Orleans music, crafts, arts, and dance programs have disappeared in recent years. Minneapolis/St. Paul and other cities have initiated programs that focus on using the arts to keep at-risk youth in school and move people into creative roles in the workforce. A New Orleans Cultural Commission or Department of Cultural Affairs could help recapture the human potential lost with these programs—while extending the city’s rich cultural legacy and strengthening competitiveness for high-value heritage tourism—by collaborating with nonprofits, schools, and other partners on efforts.

Environmental: Promote Environmental Equity Environmental justice and equity requires that all groups and places should have equal access to environmental goods like clean air and water and that no group or place should bear a disproportionate burden of environmental problems. The Master Plan outlines environmental strategies to benefit all parts of the City.

Cities like Atlanta, Baltimore, and Chicago have learned that when residents don’t trust city government to be fair and to serve everybody’s needs, residents compete for control of the levers of power rather than joining in community-wide efforts to solve deeply rooted problems. Like all of the Master Plan’s core policies, those related to equity should be monitored annually, and these and other cities offer effective models of how that can be done.

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