F. Christiana To Expand Adding More Jobs For New Orleans’ Residents

Marrero, La. is the home to the F. Christiana distribution center which was purchased by US Food Holding Corp. in 2017. The local known food distributor became a national known food distributor overnight. The New Orleans area distribution center is scheduled to expand and will be completed by the year 2020.

F. Christiana is known as the Gulf South’s leading food distributor. The business started with Nick Christiana Sr. who was an egg packer and a wholesale poultry dealer during the Great Depression. In 1963, the company officially became F. Christiana under his son Frank Christiana. A couple of years later, the company diversified from only eggs to poultry, pork, beef, cheese, and butter. When purchased from US Food Holding Corp., the company offered over 2,000 different items. US Food Holding Corp. provides products to approximately 250,0000 restaurants and food service operators.

“The company’s acquisition by US Foods has created extraordinary new opportunities for F. Christiana’s employees and customers,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said.

Plans for the expansion include adding 130,000 square-feet to the existing building. The revamp will include a kitchen and training center for product demonstrations and recipe innovation and an interactive technology center where customers may learn about the company.

With triple the facility size, the F. Christiana and Co. will go from a 140 person payroll to a 185 person payroll by 2020. The average annual salary will be $46,000 and the Louisiana Economic Development estimates an additional 38 new indirect jobs will come from the expansion.

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New Lifestyle Center Along Lafitte Greenway in Mid-City

The Lafitte Greenway has been a hot commodity for investors. Along the 2.6-mile paved pedestrian and bike path connection between Mid-City and the French Quarter, Edwards Communities has a 382-unit apartment project being built as well as Wrong Iron Beer Garden and Hey! Cafe & Coffee Roastery. Developer Sindey Torres wants to get in with the action and plans to develop a “lifestyle center” along the Lafitte Greenway.

Acquiring the land along Lafitte Greenway near Jefferson Davis Parkway and Bayou St. John in 2015, Torres has been working on the plan for the project that would cover the current vacant land. His vision for the lifestyle center took an even bigger step when Torres started to witness the success of Wrong Iron.

The undeveloped land is slated to be the future home of a unique development that will emphasize water features. There will be fifty to sixty condominiums, a dog park, retail stores, shared office space and a 265-car garage with a pool on top. Torres emphasizes walk-ability, green space and outdoor activities will be a big focal point.

“I want to get away from car traffic,” Torres said.

Emily Leitzinger, president of the Mid-City Neighborhood Association is eager to see a presentation of the concept from Torres in the near future.

“He gathered support and people from all over the neighborhood to support his proposal. That speaks to community engagement,” Leitzinger said. “Whenever there’s a developer who comes into Mid-City, we want them to garner the temperature of what people want.”

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A New Home Subdivision Proposed for Jefferson Parish

The West Bank in  Jefferson Parish has been waiting for the residential boom to hit since the expansion of the Huey P. Long Bridge in 2013. Jefferson Parish has very little land left to easily develop into big residential communities. The last large residential development in the area was in 2017, Live Oak Plantation Estates, with 76 lots. Today Guidry Land Development of Broussard proposed plans to develop a 46-lot subdivision along South Kenner Avenue close to the Mississippi River.
The new subdivision which went in front of the Planning Advisory Board last Thursday,  is called Asher Park and is located in Waggaman on the West Bank. Waggaman is an unincorporated community in Jefferson Parish on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Set between Kenner and Harahan, this quaint, small community is just 15 miles from the city of New Orleans and is described as “the Northshore’s country living at its best.”

Originally Guidry Land planned for 50 lots that were on average 99 feet wide by 293 feet deep spanning across 29,000 square feet of area. The Planning Department nixed the 50 lots stating that the width was too narrow for parish law.  The new plan for 46 lots will have 100 feet across.

Landry Camardelle, president of the Waggaman Civic Association, is excited about the potential growth in the area. He is looking forward to seeing progress in the West Bank instead of weeds and neglected roads.
“It’s going to increase our tax base,” Camardelle said.

 

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New Orleans 300th Anniversary Celebration

New Orleans will not only be celebrating the New Year New Year’s Eve but will also celebrate the city’s 300th anniversary. The tricentennial year will be celebrated with four firework shows around New Orleans.

“We’ll be celebrating the city’s 300th anniversary across the city of New Orleans, so whether you’re in New Orleans East, Algiers, uptown or downtown, all of our residents will be able to participate and see the skyline just beautiful with fireworks,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell said at a news conference Thursday morning.

Residents can enjoy fireworks in several spots around the city.  The firework celebrations will begin at 8:30pm December 31, 2018 with a firework show at Read Boulevard and Interstate 10 in New Orleans East. Next at 9:30pm fireworks will be displayed in City Park close to the New Orleans Museum of Art.  Around 10:30pm a show will be display on the river between Jefferson Ave. and Napoleon Ave. Midnight fireworks on the Mississippi River close to the French Quarter will accompany the dropping of the fleur-de-lis from the roof of Jax Brewery at Jackson Square.

“I encourage you to come out and raise your glass whether it’s Cristal (champagne) or MD 20/20 (fortified wine) or just water,” Banks said. “Whatever it is, come out and toast a glass to this wonderful birthday celebration because New Orleans is about all of us, it is for all of us, and this celebration represents each of us.”

 

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A New Start for The Hollygrove Market Site

Hollygrove Farm and Market closed its doors in March of 2018 because of financial reasons.  Sadden residents and vendors hoped that the nonprofit would be picked up by another organization and would re-open but sadly that was not the case. Fortunately, a year later, the site will become the new home to 14 Parishes  in February 2019.

14 Parishes Jamaican restaurant will close its Central City location December 22, 2018 and will officially move to the new location at 8301 Olive St. once the revitalization is complete.  During the renovation, the restaurant will be open at the Pythian Market on Loyola Ave. for patron’s enjoyment.

Owner’s Lauren and Chef Charles Blake have exciting plans for the new location. The old market space will house the main dining area while an upstairs room will be event space for private parties. The first step will include building out a kitchen and getting the main dining room ready for business.

Eventually the couple want to use the old raised beds and planting fields.  “We do plan on growing our own produce eventually,” Lauren said. “We have to do a lot of heavy landscaping … so it will be a farm-to-table situation.”

The remaining outdoor space, in time, will be a seating area where patrons can sit and watch their food be prepared on the outdoor grill.  “My husband/chef can’t wait to put everything on the grill,” she said.

The husband and wife owned restaurant features specialty items such as jerk chicken, stewed oxtail as well as traditional sides like sweet plantains, callaloo and rice and peas. The couple also cook at festivals throughout New Orleans and will be at the Jerk Chicken Festival and the French Quarter Festival this year. New Orleans’ residents and visitors alike will be excited to see what the new restaurant holds for this well-known landmark.