Tag Archive for: New Orleans

Land on the West Bank, Close to New Orleans

Sometimes, the southern region of the crescent in the Crescent City of New Orleans gets overlooked for its potential to offer benefits for those home buyers who are interested in being near New Orleans but not necessarily living in the city of New Orleans.  Land on the West Bank is still available in an established, master planned community just over the Intercoastal Waterway in Plaquemines Parish.  Plaquemines Parish is an odd-shaped piece of land that extends from the “base” of New Orleans all the way down to where the land seems to disappear into the marsh.  Because of this, the parish gets a reputation for being flood prone or “too far south” to be livable for those looking to commute to work everyday in the Central Business District (CBD).

At The Parks of Plaquemines in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, we offer the best of both worlds.  You can live in a parish that has significantly lower bills (taxes, city rents, utilities), in a gated community, in a safe environment (only one way in or out of the parish from our location with low crime), only 10.2 miles from downtown New Orleans.  Also, a 5-094HUGE perk of choosing to live just outside of the city limits is the fact that Plaquemines Parish has one of the best rated school districts in the state of Louisiana, so if you are moving with your family, there is a guaranteed quality school district to send your children.

The subdivision itself also has a lot to offer.  In addition to being able to buy your own lot and custom build your new home (if you wish); you can also enjoy walking and hiking trails carved out around the community.  Inside the community we have built a community swimming pool, tot lot / playground, and tennis courts as amenities for our new home buyers.  New Homes are available now at The Parks of Plaquemines, and we are slowly building out the community with both traditional housing as well as new construction garden homes in our Villas Neighborhood.

Our master planned neighborhood is located near everything the West Bank in Jefferson Parish has to offer with shopping, dining, and entertainment locations, the day-to-day office visits that are “life necessary” such as doctor’s 3-099and dentist’s visits, veterinarian appointments, and even home business visits such as accountants and lawyers.   There are two ways to access New Orleans – across the Crescent City Connection bridge or by ferry at Algiers Point.  New ferry boats are in the works because of a bill signed recently by the governor to get them operational as well.

Real estate in New Orleans is scarce, and prices are higher because of supply and demand.  If you are interested in living in an established neighborhood, you may want to consider living a little bit farther away in the comfort of a beautifully maintained and quality built subdivision such as The Parks of Plaquemines.  Contact Us at 504-364-2350 or E-mail Info@TheParksLifestyle.com for more information.

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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Algiers Fall Festival in Federal City on the West Bank

This year is the first year that Algiers will host a fall festival on September 26, 2015, from 11:00am – 7:00pm.  The Algiers Fall Festival in Federal City is celebrating the military and Algiers community on the West Bank.  This family event will have live music, local food trucks, local art vendors, children’s activities, beer and wine. Many local favorites will serve you with great food and drinks. These include Big Dog BBQ on DA Go, Bite-N-Go Express, The Holy Grill, Kenny’s Cajun & Creole, King Sham Boiling & Grill on Wheels, La Cocinita, Nola Girl Food, Pirate Pizza, Sweet “T” Old Fashioned Homemade Treats, Taylor Made Wings on the Geaux and Ye Olde Kettle Vendor. Ochsner Health System, a sponsor of the festival, will also have their ribbon cutting ceremony on their new facility in Federal City during the Algiers Fall Festival at 1:30pm. There will be free food provided and free group fitness classes!

New Orleans is known for its great music festivals, and the Algiers Fall Festival is sure to live up to the city’s hype. The music line-up will include the Marine Corps Band New Orleans which will headline at 11:00am, followed by The Young Pinstripe Brass Band at 12:30pm, Little Freddie King at 2:00pm, The Bucktown All-Stars at 3:30pm, and willAlgiers Fall Festival end with Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band at 5:30pm.

Here is a little background on each of the bands that will perform.  The Young Pinstripe Brass Band combines jazz, funk, soul, rock and hip-hop.  Originating out of New Orleans, this band exudes the energy and talent from the streets of New Orleans by using traditional brass sound in modern music. The Bucktown All-Stars, famous for their true Cresent City flavor, prides themselves in “bringing their A game” whenever they perform.  This band will bring high energy mix of rock, soul, funk, R&B and legendary New Orleans classics to the festival.

Local Leader and Legend of New Orleans, Little Freddie King has been performing for fifty-five years. Many love the sounds of his American root blues with a mix of country and urban blues.  Of course it would not be a Louisiana festival without a little zydeco.  Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band, pure zydeco music, has recorded five CD’s and traveled the world.

For more information on the Algiers Fall Festival go to www.algiersdevelopment.com or call 504-367-3331.  Presented by First NBC and sponsored by Ochsner Health System, Jones Walker, First Bank and Trust, Navy Federal Credit Union, Beurman Miller Fitzgerald, Pickering & Cotogno, Sean Bruno, CPA, Algiers Development Corporation, Algiers Development District, and Joint Development Committee.

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Westpark Office Building in Algiers Sold for Development

The Westpark office building in Algiers has been sold to local purchasers Thomas Guinan Jr. and Harold Callais II. The building which is the third largest on the West Bank is located off General DeGaulle Drive.  It is a six-story, 109,000-square-foot office building that is the center of Westpark Office Park. The purchase of the building included 7 acres of green space, 500 parking spaces and two helicopter landing pads. The building was built in 1983 and is approximately seven minutes from the Central Business District and has direct access to major shopping and residential areas such as the Parks of Plaquemines.

Until this year, the only tenant to occupy the whole building was FEMA.  The Federal Emergency ManagementWestpark Office Building Agency moved into the building after Hurricane Katrina.  The new owners plan to lease to multiple local and regional businesses for now but in the future they might convert the office building to condominiums.

The previous owner of the property was Hertz Investment Group which is based out of California.  They purchased the building for $7 million in 2005. They are a real estate investment company that focuses on acquiring, marketing and managing extraordinary properties around the United States. The successful company has revitalized many buildings that include the Wiltern Center and Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, Verizon Building in Pittsburg and Dominion Tower in New Orleans.

Hertz Investment Group is known as the “dominant landlord” of the Central Business District.  The company has acquired and still owns many New Orleans spots including First Bank & Trust Tower, the Poydras Center, the former Texaco building, 400 Poydras Tower, One Shell Square, the Dominion Tower and the Energy Centre.  These are all premier properties located on Poydras Street. Their latest acquisition is One Shell Square which is the largest office building in Louisiana.  This is said to be the largest acquisition in Hertz’s history which was for more than $417 million. This goes to show that New Orleans has a strong local office building market.  “This a great vote of confidence in the local office building market,” said real estate analyst Wade Ragas.

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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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