News Roundup

Recovery Projects Awarded Grants: Improvements Target N.o. Neighborhoods

Times-Picayune
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
By Susan Finch

Nineteen grants totaling more than $581,000 have been awarded to help bring to life some of the neighborhood recovery projects envisioned in the Unified New Orleans Plan for rebuilding the city after Hurricane Katrina.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation last week sent letters awarding the grants to the recipients, all nonprofit organizations or government offices, with proposals to provide a physical improvement to a neighborhood, such as a park, bike path or landscape restoration, to gather data or to create detailed plans for neighborhoods that want to supplement what is in the city’s post-Katrina recovery plan.

Ten grants are targeted for on-the-ground improvements. They are:

• $40,000 to the city Parks and Parkways Department to restore and enhance Palmer, Lafayette, Lawrence, Markey and Collins neighborhood parks.

• $25,000 to City Park to construct a bike path on Harrison Avenue.

• $40,000 to Good Work Network to support the purchase and renovation of the Franz Building on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard for small business incubation services and new retail businesses.

• $27,000 to Longue Vue House & Garden to support the Pontilly Disaster Collaborative’s green spaces rehabilitation services.

• $30,000 to the Neighborhood Planning Network for community liaisons to promote and coordinate neighborhood improvement projects with neighborhood associations, civic organizations and nonprofit groups.

• $25,422 to Parkway Partners to plant and care for street trees in Central City.

• $40,000 to the Algiers Economic Development Foundation and the Algiers Community Foundation for facade improvements along Gen. Mayer Avenue.

• $20,000 to Stay Local [Actually: The Urban Conservancy -ed.] to implement a part of the planned Lafitte Greenway.

• $20,000 to The Phoenix of New Orleans to establish the Broad Street Market.

• $20,000 to the Oak Street-Main Street program for street trees, bike racks, benches, gateway signage and trash receptacles on the Oak Street commercial corridor.

The other nine grants are going to these recipients:

• Carrollton-Audubon Renaissance, $35,000 for a plan to revitalize historic Carrollton and Audubon Park neighborhoods.

• Central City Renaissance Alliance, $50,000 to complete the Central City Neighborhood Urban Design and Land Use Plan.

• Claiborne-University Neighborhood Association, $18,500 to determine the best methods to slow traffic flow along South Claiborne Avenue between Nashville and Broadway to make the stretch easier for pedestrians and other vehicles to cross.

• Downtown Neighborhood Improvement Association, $30,000 to support the planning and design of the Downtown Neighborhood Community Center to be established at the Third Presbyterian Church.

• Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education, $15,000 to study the feasibility of moving the charter school to the medical corridor in downtown New Orleans.

• Milneburg Neighborhood Association, $30,000 to create and implement a landscaping master plan for Milneburg neighborhood neutral grounds.

• Regional Planning Commission of New Orleans, $60,000 to create a detailed action plan for commercial and residential recovery in Gentilly.

• Urban Strategies Louisiana, $40,000 to support the design phase of the redevelopment of Thomy Lafon School as a key element in the overall revitalization of Central City.

• Young Leadership Council, $15,000 to support the Project Green Light management and assessment system to repair and improve the urban streetscape.

Susan Finch can be reached at sfinch@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3340.