Rebuilding Successes
The Museum-City Park Cultural Product District was awarded by the State of Louisiana in October 2008. The District goes into effect in 2009 and will bring additional tax incentives to encourage culturally oriented businesses and home-businesses to move to the area and to restore historic buildings. A map of the district is available here.
A comprehensive housing survey was launched in 2008, and large areas of Mid-City have been completed. The survey looks at all of the Housing stock in the surveyed area, including photographs and rating of the status, so that key data is available to MCNO whenever issues of blight, code enforcement, demolition requests, and/or Zoning requests are brought forward. A comprehensive survey allows for each address to be viewed in the context of the overall street.
A Community Outreach project was completed from mid-2007 to mid-2008, which involved door-to-door distribution of bi-lingual flyers, distribution of Color posters to individuals and businesses, and the installation of 6 permanent signs at key locations throughout the neighborhood. Each of these aspects of community outreach is designed to capture the spirit of Mid-City and to provide area residents and business owners with information about our monthly community meetings, and how to stay in touch. This project was made possible by a grant from MercyCorps.
The Mid-City Library Branch opened at 330 North Carrollton Avenue in June 2007. The branch is primarily funded through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Gulf Coast Libraries Project, administered by Solinet (Southeastern Library Network). Additional funding for materials have been received from Capital One and from MCNO fund-raising events.
The Lafitte Greenway has been endorsed by City Council, and is currently in the planning and design phase. MCNO has secured a grant in the amount of $85,000 from the Governor’s Recreational Trail Program, towards the Mid-City portion of this planned 3 mile rails-to-trails conversion project.
The Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo Festival celebrated its 3rd year in May 2008. This free community event drew over 12,000 people to Mid-City to enjoy local music, arts & food, and to see first-hand the recovery of this resilient neighborhood.
The Neighborhood Guide & Map was published in March 2007. The map was created by Stay Local! with some funding provided by Mercy Corps. Over 10,000 copies were distributed directly to Mid-City residents by New Orleans Magazine, and an additional 8,000 copies have been distributed to New Orleans residents, tourists, students and “volun-tourists.”