News Roundup

Universal Furniture Building To Become Temporary Police Digs

NEW ORLEANS – A coalition of community leaders and the city of New Orleans a building will be refurbished in three weeks to become temporary offices for the New Orleans Police Department’s Fifth District.

The Universal Furniture building at the intersection of St. Roch and St. Claude avenues will serve as an office until the Fifth District’s permanent headquarters are rebuilt.

Universal Furniture Co. will provide the space rent-free. New Orleans-based HRI Properties will oversee the renovation of the Universal Furniture building.

Also involved in the project are the New Orleans Business Council, New Orleans Crime Coalition, New Orleans Hospitality Coalition, Police and Justice Foundation and Mayor C. Ray Nagin’s administration.

Once the Universal Furniture building was chosen, Mayor C. Ray Nagin allocated funds from the city’s budget to supplement private funds raised by the NOBC and tourism officials to refurbish the building. Funding amounts were not immediately available.

Terry Ebbert, director of homeland security for New Orleans, was also involved.

The PJF will handle the funds.

“Replacing and repairing our public safety facilities is my top priority for our recovery,” Nagin said. “The collaboration to rebuild the Fifth District facilities demonstrates that this recovery will take all of us working together - government, private businesses and nonprofit entities - for a full recovery for all of our citizens.”

NOPD Superintendent Warren Riley said one of the roadblocks to crime fighting in the city is post-Katrina shortage of police facilities.

“It’s a challenge to fight crime from a FEMA trailer, and this collaboration will provide the type of working environment that our men and women deserve,” Riley said.