It is our goal at The Parks at Plaquemines to keep our buyers informed about the latest information from the local, state-level, and national real estate industry. We post content to our blog that we hope that you as our custom home buyer will find helpful. Look here for information about financing your new home, building restrictions for new homes, and real estate legislation that will impact you as you are looking to buy or build a new home in the Greater New Orleans area.

Louisiana SPCA Grand Opening in Algiers, LA

The LA SPCA announces its grand opening in Algiers, Louisiana.  The Louisiana SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has been around for 125 years helping animals find a loving home in New Orleans. Chartered in 1888 it is the oldest animal welfare organization in Louisiana and provides care for more than 33,000 animals yearly. The organization strives to promote a safe haven for homeless animals. They were the leading animal welfare agency to help out the animals during Hurricane Katrina by providing water, food, shelter and transportation to safety.

With such great success in the community, they are proud to announce the grand opening of the new Adoption Resource Center and Clinic which is the second phase of the Dorothy Dorsett Brown Campus. The new Dorothy Grand Opening for the LSPCA in New OrleansDorsett Campus was built to replace the old building that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The 40,000 square foot Adoption Resource Center and Clinic is location at 1700 Mardi Gras Blvd. in Algiers on the west bank in Jefferson Parish. The newly built facility will house a permanent public veterinary clinic, education spaces and administrative offices. Twenty one thousand six hundred square feet, in the existing phase one, houses the Animal Rescue and Care Center where animal control services, animal intake and lost and found is located.

The expansion will enable Louisiana SPCA to better serve the animal community with a 40% to 50% increase in services and projected 30% increase in adoptions. The new public veterinary clinic is the only high-volume spay/neuter clinic in the region.

The new construction would not have been possible without the private donations from individual donors, national agencies, foundations and 16.8 million from FEMA.

The grand opening will be August 21- 23, 2015 from 11am – 2pm. During the grand opening, tours of the facility will be held, obedience and training demonstrations, children’s activities, tours of the transport trailer, tours of the Humane Law Enforcement vehicles, adoptions, giveaways and meet and greet with New Orleans City Council members.

 

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New Changes in Urban Design and Development

Even though Hurricane Katrina only devastated the Gulf Coast and the Greater New Orleans area, the whole world felt her effect. It has been ten years since the horrendous storm blasted through the Gulf Coast and the lessons learned have become the model for cities around the world as they plan and prepare for severe weather and rising sea levels. In essence that one storm became the catalyst for new changes in urban design and development around the world.

No one was prepared for the lives lost and communities lost by Katrina. The Urban Land Institute (ULI) realized thatUrban Water Plan this was a wake-up call for all communities in the area of buildings’ resilience to storms. Buildings must be built with every detail looked at when facing the challenge of a major storm. Not only did New Orleans need to have many buildings rebuilt, but they also needed to be built better than before. Part of this process was not only to focus on the buildings themselves but the land and environment around the community. This was done by restoring marshland and wetlands that aid in absorbing floodwaters, building affordable houses with green technology, and using other means of building that do not solely depend on oil and gas.

According to Sarene Marshall, executive director for ULI’s Center for Sustainability, “The result is a city that is more environmentally sustainable, socially cohesive, and economically prosperous, and is as a result attracting new residents, businesses and investors.”

ULI studied other communities around the world who have also been proactive in their storm protection. These cities have focused on resilience and molding their infrastructures to climate change. Small coastal towns to larger LSU Hospital Complextourist oceanfront resorts have all been affected by the climate change which includes rising sea levels, extreme heat, drought and stronger storm activity. Marshall explained, “As the resilience movement has gained momentum, we are seeing innovative approaches to the planning, design, development, financing, and insuring of real estate.”

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) reported that cities around the world are building for resilience which is not only protecting from bad weather but also improving local and economic growth and quality of life. Resilient design strategies enable a stronger defense against extreme weather which makes communities healthier and more desirable places to live. How are communities doing this? They are taking a holistic approach. Cities are building developments that are walkable and mixed-use which encourage social interactions among neighbors.

The public and private sectors are also building community amenities such as parks, trails, and fitness centers which are also being used for neighbors to connect socially and to be used as emergency escape routes during a storm. Homes in these developments are not only able to withstand extreme weather but also reduce energy and water use which can cut utility cost.

ULI’s Marshall backs up this theory stating, “Being resilient means focusing on adaptation and flexibility of space, so that building uses can change over time to 1) meet the new needs and preferences of residents, and 2) be better equipped to withstand environmental and economic stresses.”

The design of a community can prepare it for severe weather. Not every community should be designed the same. There are a couple of factors to consider such as the types of risks faced and the scale of action. An example of this is considering strategies and risks for someone who is building in a flood zone. These could include raising electrical equipment above the first floor and using water resistant materials in lower levels of the home. ULI has a publication called “A Guide for Assessing Climate Change Risk” which will assist in choosing the correct strategies and actions to take when dealing with disasters. Basically it comes down to understanding the risks and tailoring a strategy for a specific community.

Thankfully ULI has been there for New Orleans during the rebuild after Katrina. ULI has provided guidance and assistance to New Orleans’ development industry through their “Resilience Strategies for Communities at Risk” where the relationship between built and human systems is considered when building housing in the Greater New Orleans area developments.

 

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Household Growth in New Orleans Increases over the Past 5 Years

Not only have the New Orleans house prices increased 46% since Hurricane Katrina hit 10 years ago, but the city has also seen a 90% recovery rate. Many believed that the tens of thousands who fled the area after Hurricane Katrina would not return, and this was simply not the case. A report which came out on July 13, 2015, from Data Center shows that between 2010 and 2014, the growth in New Orleans was 12%, making the city 28th in population growth among 714 cities with more than 50,000 people nationwide. The study also indicated there was an additional 1% growth between 2014 and 2015.

In the New Orleans area, households that received mail increased by 19,651 since June 2010, with 65 out of 725-085 neighborhoods seeing some sort of increase. In general, 40 of the 72 neighborhoods have already recovered 90% of the population pre-Katrina and 16 neighborhoods have actually exceeded their pre-Katrina population.

The neighborhoods which saw the fastest recovery rate of at least 30% were ironically the most heavily flooded areas. These include households in Filmore, Holy Cross, Lakeview, Lower 9th Ward, Pines Village, Pontchartrain Park and West Lake Forest. Between 2010 and 2014, the areas known as the “sliver by the river”, added 1,355 households in the Central Business District (CBD), 545 households in Treme/Lafitte, 321 households in the Lower Garden District and 297 households in Bywater. Eight neighborhoods have increased by at least 100 households which include the Central Business District (CBD), Central City, St. Roch, Little Woods, Lower 9th Ward, B.W. Cooper, 7th Ward and Treme/Lafitte.

Only four of these neighborhoods have less than 50% pre-Katrina households. These include B.W. Cooper, Florida, Iberville and Lower 9th Ward. Not to worry, B.W. Cooper, Florida and Iberville are housing developments that have mostly been demolished or are being redeveloped so they cannot be considered households until completed. The Lower 9th Ward was the worst damaged from the storm and is making a slower recovery than most. Only seven neighborhoods lost households between 2010 and 2015. Many are relocating to the city of New Orleans “proper” and its surrounding or suburb neighborhoods, placing a great demand on new housing developments. In general, New Orleans is making a great recovery and is holding steady with its population numbers.

 

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One of the Nation’s Best Colleges Located in New Orleans

According to The Princeton Review, one of the nation’s best colleges is located right here in New Orleans.  Loyola University is recognized as one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education and has ranked as one of the most culturally inclusive universities in the country according to The Princeton Review’s “The Best 380 Colleges: 2016 Edition.” The Princeton Review, an education services company, had extensive surveys and interviews with

Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana is One of the Top Rated Universities in the Nation.

college students focusing on their opinions of their school and the experiences they have there.  A small number of more than the nation’s 2,500 4-year universities and colleges made the list, Loyola University being one of them. The goal of “The Best 380 Colleges: 2016 Edition” is to offer assistance to applicants when choosing the best college to fit their goals and aspirations.  The “Top 20″ national ranking lists provided by the survey makes it easier for students to compare what’s out there.

Loyola is recognized six times in the “Top 20” list for the following categories:

#2 Lots of Race/Class Interaction

#2 Town-Gown Relations are Great

#4 Best College Newspaper

#13 Best College Library

#14 Best Quality of Life

#18 Easiest Campus to Get Around

Loyola President Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D. said, “We are very proud that Loyola University New Orleans has been recognized by the Princeton Review in areas that reflect our rich and diverse culture, hands-on learning experiences and community engagement.”

Loyola is highlighted in the edition as “a warm private school in the heart of a big, vibrant city” where all students can find their best attributes in the University’s versatile academic program.  Loyola President Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D. states, “At Loyola, we challenge our students to ask questions and seek solutions in all areas of life, so that they can become critical thinkers and prepare to change the world.”  “The Maroon”, Loyola’s newspaper, was recognized among the top five college newspapers for the second year in a row by “The Princeton Review”.

Relocation to the New Orleans area is on the rise making it a great place to live. If you live in Plaquemines Parish you have a great advantage in the fact that you not only live in a top school district but are located near one of the top universities in the nation – Loyola University. Plaquemines Parish Schools are recognized for the 2014 highest passage rate in the metro New Orleans area on the state standardized testing grades 3 – 8.  The 4th grade LEAP scores tied in 2014 for the highest in Louisiana with a 96 percent passage rate, and 8th grade LEAP scores were second in the state. Students that graduate from Plaquemines Parish schools will have tremendous opportunities right here in their hometown of New Orleans.

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9 Acres of Land for Sale Purchased for Mixed-Use Development

Land for sale which was purchased from the New Orleans Terminal Co. and Alabama Great Southern Railroad by New Orleans local Sidney Torres will eventually be developed into a high-end Bayou St. John real estate development.  The land borders a stretch of the Lafitte Greenway in Mid-City in New Orleans.  Sidney Torres purchased the 9 acres if land by using his company IV Capital, a venture capital firm.  This plot is also bounded by Mid-City’s Rouses Supermarket and Bayou St. John, so some of the development will have a waterfront view.

Plans for the land that was bought include 380,000 square feet of “high-end, mixed-use residential and commercial”Land for sale was purchased by Sidney Torres near the Lafitte Greenway for a new, master planned community along Bayou St. John. property.  Because of its proximity to the new University Medical Center and the Veteran Affairs hospital, housing and retail is being planned as a TND (Traditional Neighborhood Development) to include housing and retail in walking distance within this master-planned community for potential employees of these two medical facilities.

The advantage to this land purchase is that the land itself already has “built-in” amenities with the bicycle and pedestrian paths and trails of the Lafitte Greenway which connects the French Quarter to City Park.  This planned natural recreational park should be finished at the end of 2015.  Housing will include both single-family homes as well as apartments.  Some of the planned retail aspects include a gymnasium, cafe, and boutique hotel.  Other amenities planned for this master planned development include fire pits along the bayou, playgrounds, and additional bike paths.

Torres said the development team welcomes input from the surrounding community. “We encourage people to bring their best ideas to the table,” Torres said. Partners in the deal include hotelier and developer Joe Jaeger and Hicham Khodr, owner of Camellia Grill.

Click Here for the Source of the Information.