Heres a preview of our Opening Statements to the IDB for our presentation on Tuesday… Enjoy... Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board, We find ourselves in troubled and troubling times. Our nation, and the world, stands on the brink of significant Geo-political and Economic change. And despite how dire this may sound, it is not unusual in an historical sense. Each and every generation faces its own challenges and it is only those with the vision, foresight and strength of will who triumph and leave a lasting legacy to the future. In our own country we are living within an economic quagmire; entire cities and even states are facing bankruptcy and economic insolvency. Once vibrant and energetic metropolises, full of hope and promise, have faded into shadowy specters of what has, and could have been. These places are filled with productive and hopeful citizens walking poorly lit, deteriorating streets surrounded by decaying and boarded buildings. If asked, most of these people would leap at a single word and what it could mean for them individually and collectively....OPPORTUNITY. We believe that New Orleans East embodies that opportunity. New Orleans is unique and exceptional in its history, culture and people. The city and its people have, time and again faced tremendous challenges and upheavals with the same casual yet determined attitude. There is simply no other city so proud and resilient as ours. The expansion into Da East has also met with tremendous challenges and setbacks, not the least of which was the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. But there is, and will be, a New Orleans East. We wish to be an integral part of the rebirth, and development of New Orleans East. However, we recognize that no single development or attraction can possibly usher in or carry such a rebirth. To have any lasting, positive effect would require a great deal more. We believe that to achieve a successful result would require the establishment of a diverse and sustainable economic engine. Our goal is to develop this engine beginning with our proposal for the redevelopment of the Jazzland / Six Flags Site into a multi-faceted entertainment and shopping destination to be called Transformation Village. This cannot be accomplished by any single-minded developer; to achieve this transformation will require the participation of the City and the people of the city. We welcome that, in fact, we believe that in order to achieve the greatest success we must all work together to find solutions that respond to and satisfy all. We believe that we are all stakeholders in this endevour. To that end, we will make every effort to include the City and its citizens in the entire development process. As stated, we believe that the establishment of a diverse and sustainable economic engine is crucial to the success of developing New Orleans East. With that in mind, and our proposal for the development of the Jazzland Site, we have begun courting a number of industries. For example, we feel strongly that we can help to establish New Orleans East as the core of a new technology corridor that we are tentatively calling Silicone Bayou. We have already begun contacting some of the technology giants. We also believe that the introduction of the tech industry would not only compliment, but enhance the burgeoning Louisiana Film industry which we would also like to work with and accommodate. In addition, we have identified the emerging Eco-tourism industry as a potential opportunity among others. We have already begun to conceptualize these possibilities. While all of these industries and more will help to diversify and strengthen the economy of East New Orleans, it is the people who will feel the greatest impact and reap the greatest benefits. With this in mind we wish to develop, or help in the development, of the places and spaces that these citizens will live, work and play. We have no desire to provide housing. We wish to create communities. These should be homes and neighborhoods with strong, personal connections and civic pride. These will be communities where our next generation will be proud to call home. Neighborhoods with character and a sense of place, not the bland cul-de-sac subdivisions in which they grew up. Parks, attractive streetscapes, multi-modal transportation and mixed-use zoning will replace homogenous residential and retail tracts accessible only by automobile. We feel that the strongest communities are held together by the civic pride of those who live there. We will strive to help to develop communities and neighborhoods such as these. Finally we must consider that the vast majority of East New Orleans is, or could be considered, wetland by the U.S. EPA, among other government bureaucracys, and as such would restrict or eliminate any future development. This would, of course, significantly restrict any possibility of the City to achieve any viable, let alone sustainable, growth. And with this in mind we propose to show that through a program of sustainable and ecologically sensitive growth, the City can not only reclaim this land, but halt the inevitable surrender of it to the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, this could become a showcase of how Louisianas wetlands can be reclaimed. Today we are asking the City of New Orleans to give us the opportunity to help our City and people build a future that is not bleak or dismal, as has become far too much the norm. Instead, we ask the City to partner with us in creating a City that will be the pride of its citizens and the envy of all others. We are proposing a transformation and a rebirth. We see only that opportunity that so many hope and strive for. We wish to bring that opportunity to all of the people of New Orleans. We would like to extend our gratitude to you, the City of New Orleans and its people for your time and your thoughtful consideration of our proposal. Sincerely, The Transformation Team
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 13:52:55 +0000
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