Irish Channel Neighborhood Organization / New Orleans Redevelopment Authority Partnership

From New Orleans Wiki

This document is extracted from notes taken by Gill Benedek in the document Irish Channel / NORA Partnership.

Stages of Partnership:

1. Ed McGinnis and residents of the Irish Channel Neighborhood Association wanted to expedite the development of blighted housing in their community.

a. A Survey Committee was established to survey all the blighted homes in the neighborhood.
b. This took 16 work days over approximately 8 weeks.
c. Each property had the address, a picture and other information available
d. The committee then cross-referenced the properties with GIS information and list given by Stacy Head’s office.

2. Narrowed property list to ones that could be quickly turned around.

a. Another set of 16 work days were necessary to work with NORA staff to do further research into the properties (e.g. property information, resident info, etc).
b. Questions asked were: Are they adjudicated? Have they been declared blighted by NORA?
c. The list went from over 100 to 39 properties.

3. Irish Channel presents information to NORA Board and request to work with NORA staff to expedite the blighted properties as well as having a hand in creating preferences for the RQP process.

a. NORA staff and lawyers validated the list.
b. Of 39 only 13 properties were immediately actionable.

4. Signed a co-operation endeavor agreement.

a. Benefit to NORA: Get “community presence.”
b. IRISH Channel NA: Get to set preferences and policies so that redevelopment of properties are in character and spirit of neighborhood.
c. Irish channel: Oversight and participation in deciding appropriate developers. Would like developers to start within 140 days and finish within 270 days of start date.

5. Lakeview participants realize that Irish Channel has good model but needs adjustment for their situation.

a. Lakeview has less blighted housing and more property from Louisiana Land Trust which is harder to expedite.
b. Have found NORA difficult in getting information.

6. Irish Channel feels a responsibility to make sure other residents are involved in neighborhood group and are aware of the partnership.

7. Challenges:

a. What is the liability of the Irish Channel in this process?
b. How can Irish Channel NA be held accountable?
c. Committee looking to be equipped with information for potential developers and residents (loans, volunteer labor, good contractors, etc)

B.) Notes from Omid

1. NORA does not yet have a process to directly work with neighborhood constituents.
2. Currently 3,000 properties on market and only 250 sales last month.
3. Current form of property processing.