JPKneworleans

Streetcar wiring from Napoleon to downtown is now complete. The streetcars should start running in the next few weeks!

Has anyone seen a bid sheet for Trump? Speaking of which, what's the deal with the advertising roll-out? I thought the ad campaign would have been started by now. The website is still pathetic.

INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT: This is from an article on the wwltv website: Latter & Blum has tracked its sales from recent months and noticed a dramatic shift within the last 60 days: more people from out of state are moving into the city.

The Times-Picayune was on target. Kailas can't develop Lake Forest on his own. Does anyone know what he has successfully developed?

Yes. FYI: I found out that a Capital One Bank is taking the place of the ugly old Rite Aid at the corner of St. Chas and Napoleon. I received the same response! However, someone (forgot the name, but not Pam) called my office this afternoon. I spoke with her for about 15 minutes. I posted the info in the Trump thread.

I sent the an email to the development company. I'll post the response.

I am not surprised about the St. Raymond. Trump has a significant advantage: Being downtown. The downtown project can appeal to out-of-towners with second/third homes and locals. The St. Raymond's location makes it very difficult to appeal to the second home crowd. I do hope the project gets built, though. If it doesn't, at least the bonds can be used for other projects.

I was wondering what was going on with the building. Several developers had talked about turning the building into a hotel or condos both before and after the storm. I'm glad the building is going to come back to life. It's a great example of art deco architecture, and the crown of the building will be great when it is lit. Besides the Charity Hospital nursing school, the bank building is (I think) the only signficant art deco building in the CBD. Stupidly, about eight years or so ago, the legislature approved the demolition of the Charity nursing building. I'm glad the preservationists won, and it was renovated.

I'd like to know this one myself. As for the St. Raymond...I think it would be great if it is built. I really like the look of the building, and it has the potential to completely remake Jefferson Highway. Also, a new tallest inJP would be nice. Lakeway III has been the tallest for long enough.

The Houston Chronical's editorial stated it quiet adequately: Jefferson should either explain or resign. Considering that any explanation will be unbelievable, I think he should just resign. The House Ethics Committee is conducting an investigation and will be concluded in thirty days. They should toss him out on his corrupt rear. THEN, we can all vote for Ray for Congress and then get a new Mayor! 99.5, in its 5-7PM drive-time afternoon segment, is running a tongue in cheek draft Ray for Congress campaign. I actually don't think he'd be so bad as a Congressman. He's just pathetic as a leader, though. He has no sense of who he is. In front of business people, he speaks relatively eloquently. However, when he's at an African American preacher's conference, he changes the tone of his voice and his accent and starts to speak like the English language is foreign to him.

Oh well. No real news on Trump. But...what's this about Macy's in Kenner? I thought the store was supposed to reopen early next year.

I like the slogan! It could be part of a campaign akin to the "What happins in Vegas stays in Vegas" campaign.

Question: Besides the new building at City Plaza in downtown BR (I think that's the name. Pardon me, as I am from NOLA), are there any other tall office buildings planned for downtown? How about elsewhere in the BR area? I am aware of the mid-rise Regions Bank.

Sli: Where is Hoffman Triangle? I definitely know where Gert Town is. I'm hoping for 1.250 by 2010. We just need a NEW GOVERNMENT.

The basis for a city's selection was its MSA population above 1.25M. I wonder how close we are to it now. Anyone want to hazzard a guess?

YOU SAID IT! She is such an angry lady.

Hi Guys: I joined this board in 2005, but I only signed on briefly here and there. I didn't even know this "introduction" thread existed until I started looking past the NOLA/BR/SBC development stuff. I decided to ditch SkyScraperCity as my primary board for a number of reasons, including the fact that it seemed as if there were fewer locals posting there. (I also love wirednewyork.com because I love NYC, and the building boom there is incredible.) Anyway, my name is Jimmy. I live uptown, three blocks from my nirvana (Audubon Park, when I love to vegitate). I've lived in New Orleans for 20 years and am originally from Monroe. Monroe is a very picturesque, but that's about it. I work downtown in what used to be the LL&E Tower, then 909 Poydras Tower, and now officially renamed First Bank and Trust Tower. It's a great building in which to work. Anyway....let's keep this board going. JPK

Relocating to New Orleans isn't that bad after all. The above was a front page story in the May 17, 2007 Times-Picayune.

Everything in New Orleans is either racist or parochial. After the storm, the news was dominated by stories that the poor were being kept out in an effort to "gentrify" the city. THe odd thing about the entire line of stories was the fact that the people on the side of the poor acted as if gentification was a four letter word. Gentrification=higher paying jobs=better quality of life=increased tax base. The increase in taxes could, in many ways, help improve the lives of the poor. A few examples come to mind: increase in service jobs, nicer public housing, public housing that does not place people in high density locations, more police protection, drug rehab programs, and the list can go on. Just look at Atlanta. It wasn't too long ago that Atlanta had a lot of the same problems that New Orleans currently has. As for Lincoln Beach, I suppose we have to ask Councilwoman Willard Lewis, who was so offended that she was not the FIRST to know about what is being planned in HER realm. As for Mid-City, who knows if that retail project will take off. The neighborhood association is outraged, which of course, makes Councilwoman Midura outraged. I hope she does not overcompensate for Jay Batt's stupidity by completely blocking development. I think she's too smart for that. I drove through Mid-City today. From Mercy Hospital to Carrollton, the land is dominated by old warehouses. How would retail do anything but improve the character of the area? Big-Boxes a la Wal-Mart and Target are not what's needed, but an urban town center such as the one proposed in NO East, with smaller department stores would be perfect. The development could also include apartments on upper floors, etc. People keep blaming the mis-named Road Home program for the recovery's problems. New Orleans' old ways are a close second in terms of impediments to success. UGH! (Sorry....just needed to get out some frustration.)

That's GREAT news. With any luck, the broadcasts will finally dispell rumors that New Orleans remains flooded and that tourists should receive vaccinations before they come to the city.

Speaking of the West Bank, there is that development that Guidry (Treasure Chest former owner and Edwin Edwards friend/turned fed witness) is building. I think it's on Manhattan. It's supposed to have an office building and park. I think it's called something like The Fountains...or something like that. It was planned Pre-K, but he's going forward with it even though he has no committed tenants. I can't fathom the last time an office building was built in this area as a spec building with no tenants.

NCB: It is now lit at night. Initially, it appeared that First Bank was going to rely on the building's flood lighting to serve as lights for the sign. I'm glad my thoughts were incorrect. Still, though, it looks bad during the day. What I especially dislike are the metal supports that hold the sign up. Very tacky. The map shows it is in Elmwood. The only office building of any size of which I was aware was the new Chevron building in Northpark in Covington. That building was supposed to be complete by year's end. There's no way. The foundation has not even been poured.

Looks like the rewiring of the streetcar line has begun in earnest right past Napoleon where the first streetcar substation is. The wiring starts in front of the Orleans Club (at Valence?) and is almost to Napoleon. According to the news, the downtown-Napoleon segment should be up and running by summer's end.

NCB: I don't think the Civic is in the Warehouse district. I think its CBD proper. The Warehouse District does not cross St. Chas. I could be mistaken.

The new sign looks pretty bad during the day. Without a back, and in light of its color, it's hard to even see while the sun is out if one is viewing from any distance.