Federal City’s Fitness Center Gets New Operator

The YMCA currently operating in Federal City on the West Bank in Jefferson Parish will cease operations as of March 31st.  The Algiers Development District, which handles in partnership the budget and operations of Federal City and is also a public entity of the City of New Orleans, quickly scrambled to find a new company to operate the newly renovated fitness center.  The Federal City Fitness Center originally was the gym used for Naval and Marine personnel at the now closed naval base.  A $2.5 million construction renovation occurred, and the newly converted gym was reopened in May, 2012.  An expansion adding an addition 4,000 square feet as well as the construction of a swimming pool is currently underway in Federal City.  The 4,000 square foot expansion is costing $2.2 million with another $900,000 going towards the pool.

Even as a non-profit organization, paying only $1 / year in rent on a 50-year lease, the YMCA did not see the expected growth of membership for its facility in Federal City.  The projected amount was approximately 1,000 federal-city-fitness-center-operationsmarines who were stationed near the location, but those memberships simply never happened.  Without even having to properly advertising an RFP (Request for Proposal), the Algiers Development District was immediately contacted by no less than 5 interested parties once news got out about the YMCA vacating the facility.  Once the requirements for bids were established, only two companies remained in competition for the operations contracto – Franco’s Athletic Club and Ochsner Health Systems which also operates the Elmwood Fitness Center.

Closed door meetings were held with both companies after it was determined that the project did not have to be put out for bids like other state projects.  Both companies were able to confidentially present their plans to the committee.

“We had great presentations,” said Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, a member of the district board after the meeting, “We still have questions that need to be resolved.”

A subcommittee was designated to negotiate the terms with the two firms.  Federal City’s fitness center gets new operator was announced as Ochsner Health System was then selected to take over operations of the fitness center, according to the website for the Algiers Development District.  As the YMCA was operating the building on a week-to-week basis, the resolution of this matter was vital to all involved.

“ADD’s first priority is to the Algiers community and the people of Federal City,” said ADD Chairman, Jeff Arnold. “Our main goal, after the YMCA notified us of their decision and their timeline, was to ensure no disruption in services to the 2,300 members that use the facility daily as a fitness center and, next, to identify an operator with a successful track record and business model. We think this agreement with Ochsner accomplishes both of those needs.”

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Winners of the Louisiana Landmarks Society Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation

In 2014, the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy  rebuilt 2, 200-year-old Navy buildings on the Mississippi River with an addition of a 3rd connecting school building which resulted in a $17 million expenditure in real estate construction.  The new school campus is now located in Federal City which is the name for part of the former naval base here in New Orleans.  The New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy is a state charter high school which emphasize a Marine Corps Junior ROTC program

The school, which has actually moved three times – once from a public school campus in Algiers, Louisiana and then from the Navy hospital facility in the shuttered naval base – now has a permanent location which they were able to OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAmove into over the winter break in February, 2015.  Now the 2 historic buildings that received a complete renovation were winners of the Louisiana Landmarks Society Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation in 2015.  New construction projects, historic restorations, and renovations are given awards by this program for any home, building, or commercial / industrial construction projects in neighborhoods throughout New Orleans, excluding the French Quarter.

“The variety and caliber of the projects were amazing this year,” said Sandra Stokes, a member of the awards selection committee. “They ranged from individual homes to large-scale projects. There also was a major resurgence in one area — the O.C. Haley area — which is great to see.”

The awards selection committee is part of the Historic District Landmarks Commission, and its members include local architects, historians, and members of the Commission itself.  Several components are factored into choosing award winners: restoration helps with revitalization, eco-friendly, sustainable energy efficient renovations / restorations, and cultural and ethnic diversity which is a big focus of the revitalization of New Orleans.

The two buildings of the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy were in “good company” with other winners which included the Tulane School of Social Work, Pan American Life Insurance Building, Bienville Avenue Residences, Carver Theater, Il Mercato, and New Orleans Jazz Market.  The awards will be presented on April 15 during a reception and fundraiser for the Louisiana Landmarks Society.

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New Orleans is Building Back Smarter and Stronger

Three agencies – the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – have come together in New Orleans to finance and oversee the construction of the Faubourg Lafitte Senior Housing Community which will have 100 apartments for senior residents ranging in size from 615 – 900 square feet. 89 of the apartments will be one-bedroom units and 11 will be two-bedroom units. They will be offered to Section 9 and public housing residents in New Orleans.

“The Faubourg Lafitte community is another example of how New Orleans is building back smarter and stronger,” said Mayor Mitchell Landrieu. “Once completed, the new Lafitte Senior Housing building will contribute greatly to this revitalized corridor by providing our seniors with an affordable housing option that is just blocks away from the new Lafitte Greenway, which is opening this spring.”

The groundbreaking for the new housing units will be held Wednesday, February 25, 2015.

Lafitte_Greenway

The new senior housing community is located conveniently close to the new Lafitte Greenway which will be open to the public in Summer, 2015. The Lafitte Greenway is an integral part of the revitalization of New Orleans for the area of town located between the Treme and Lakeview. The purpose of the planning of this area was to offer more convenient means of public transportation for residents without vehicles, to link the two neighborhoods of Treme and Lakeview, to provide a community space that would also offer a safe path to home, school, work, or play, and to provide walking and biking paths for not only community residents but also to the elderly or disabled who may need rehabilitation opportunities.

As a 2.6-mile bicylce and pedestrian trail, New Orleans homeowners and renters will be able to travel from Armstrong Park to City Park. In addition to the walking / biking asphalt pathway, the Lafitte Greenway will also feature recreation fields, new landscaping, planted trees, green spaces, and drainage in the form of bioswales and stormwater retention. Safety is the priority of this non-profit organization’s planning, so the path itself will be well-lit by LED, energy efficient lights. Other features include curb extensions, signalized high visibility crosswalks, Americans with Disabilites Act-compliant curb ramps at sidewalk corners, environmental remediation, a crushed stone walking path, and a bicycle and pedestrian roundabout.

 

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St. Roch Market Is Being Rebuilt For a Second Time In New Orleans

Practically everything in the City of New Orleans has some important historic value to its residents, and the renovation and rebuilding of the St. Roch Market on St. Claude Avenue is no exception.  The market was originallyst-roch-market-before opened and run in 1875 offering fresh seafood, produce, and a variety of local vendors selling commodities.  The market didn’t exactly thrive, and it was about to be permanently shut down just before the Great Depression when a local developer purchased the market in 1932 and completely renovated and rebuilt the market adding plumbing and refrigeration.  The market was able to keep the doors open for all of the years after that, even servicing as a full-service seafood market for a few years until it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

St. Roch Market is being rebuilt for a second time in New Orleans.  Since 2005, the St. Roch Market has been empty, st-roch-market-new-2and at one time, it was put for sale by the city of New Orleans for $650,000 as a blighted property.  The city is glad to announce that after a $3.7 million renovation, the St. Roch Market will be opening its doors once more as a functional market the first week of April, 2015.  The renovation included the entire structure from the ground up and it also included additions to the structure to make the market larger.  Renovation construction included replacing the roof, completely new electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and mechanical systems, structural siding and masonry new construction and repair, all doors, and windows, and the flooring of the market. The construction on the market st-roch-market-new-1was done by a conglomeration of New Orleans’ businesses called the St. Roch Community Partners, Inc.

St. Roch Market has attracted enough vendors to open its doors in April as a fully functional market.  The types of offerings include fresh produce, fresh seafood, fresh meats, local sauces, dressings, jams, dips, and local favorites, breads and pastries, fresh coffee and juices as well as roasted coffee grounds and beans, different types of cuisine from Korea, Nigeria, and other international treats, and a fresh oyster / seafood bar.  The market also features a full-service alcohol bar as well.

St. Roch Market is open daily from from 9am – 11am and is located at 2381 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA 70117.  For more information about the market, you can visit www.strochmarket.com.

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Construction in Algiers, Louisiana, Is Picking Up

Construction in Algiers, Louisiana, is picking up as a new master developer will begin building out Phase 1 of the city-styled, master plan development of Federal City.  The new developer will be Vista Louisiana, and the contract should be a done deal by the end of January.  The terms of developing and building this master planned community in Algiers, LA will include giving preference to local businesses both in the building and construction process as well algiers-proposed-federal-city-developmentas the leasing of the commercial, office, and retail structures upon completion of the town center.  Another of the stipulations is that the Federal City development must adhere to New Orleans’ plan to promote disadvantaged businesses.  The contract is good for 10 years upon which it will be reviewed to be either terminated or extended.

Funding for the project will come entirely from money raised by the developer.  The city of Algiers and / or local governments will have no fiscal responsibility to provide any money towards the project. However, the two boards – the Federal City Joint Development Committee and the Algiers Development District boards – will benefit and be reimbursed from rents paid by tenants.  This profit will then be put back into the construction project.

Vista Louisiana, headed by Larry Starkman of Vista Trust and Devere Construction – both companies out of Illinois and Michigan respectively.  Based on background inquiries, Starkman “came back very favorably,” and DeVere Construction has “a very substantial balance sheet,” said Fred Chevalier, the attorney who is advising the two boards on Federal City matters.

Tom Miller, a spokesman for Vista Louisiana, said the partners “are privileged” to be selected to “turn the property now known as Federal City into a beautiful mixed-use development.”

The master plan design will be based on the design already drawn up by urban planners Duany Plater-Zynerk.  In 2009, this architectural design called for a walk, shop, dine, and live type plan where residents could live locally, shop and dine-out within walking distance of their new homes, townhomes, and condos, and also walk to their jobs if applicable to the business which would take up residence in the master plan.  Vista Louisiana intends to build on this original concept starting with Phase 1 which is detailed as the 29-acre Marine Corps Support Facility New Orleans, home to Marine Forces Reserve headquarters and its subordinate commands, and its supporting amenities, including a 400-seat auditorium, a childcare center, a 1,000-space parking garage, and a hotel.  The most important aspect of this process is to get direct feedback from the West Bank residents of Algiers in Jefferson Parish to ensure that they are meeting community needs as it pertains to residential and commercial planning.

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