Downtown Development District of New Orleans

Our deepest thanks to all those who attended and celebrated the official opening of Downtown’s Crown Park with DDD last week. The development of this new, public green space reflects our organization’s commitment to building an accessible, attractive, and world-class Downtown New Orleans. Its setting against the backdrop of artist Journey Allen’s “Sacred Crowns: The Crown Act Mural” stands as a symbol of our community’s dedication to inclusivity and the celebration of diversity. DDD extends special gratitude to our wonderful slate of speakers at the July 3rd ribbon-cutting event: President & CEO Davon Barbour, Mayor LaToya Cantrell, District B Council Member Lesli Harris, Representative Alonzo Knox, State Senator Royce Duplessis, and State Representative Candace Newell. We also thank our partners at Arts New Orleans, Dove, JOY Collective, Dana Brown & Associates, Inc., and Thrive New Orleans for their care, collaboration, and support in the execution of this project. We are stronger together, and Crown Park is proof of that. Go see this reimagined space for yourself at the corner of Carondelet and Girod Streets in the heart of the Crescent City. Photo credit to the talented Anthony LaMothe Photography. Catering from the wonderful Friends of Codey's NOLA. #DowntownNOLA #DDD

On Friday, June 28th, DDD proudly presented the ULI Louisiana's inaugural Affordable Housing Summit at New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) Downtown. The event brought together over 100 attendees to listen and learn more about affordable housing initiatives and advocacy in Downtown New Orleans. An impressive list of presenters and panelists shared with the crowd their ideas on pertinent Downtown topics, including increased housing supply, zoning reform, and removal of development barriers. Additionally, Summit leaders and guests discussed the significance of dedicated funding from local government and increased partnerships between the public and the development community. DDD strongly supports the mission of this event and thanks our partners at ULI for their work in creating space to discuss such an important local issue. We look forward to continuing these conversations with community members and partners as we move forward with our organization’s mission to create a world-class Downtown for everyone to enjoy. Photo credit: Sebastien Bonnot Photography (https://bit.ly/3Y03d7f). #DowtownNOLA #DDD #DDDEvents

This month, the National Urban League Conference will make its way to Downtown New Orleans for its largest and most impactful year yet. The National Urban League is a historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization with 90 affiliates serving 300 communities nationwide; its annual conference, held each summer in a different American city, is the most significant of its events and efforts to foster discussion, new initiatives, and change across the participating communities and beyond. The four-day event, set to take place July 24th-27th at various DDD locations, invites business leaders, policymakers, and social advocacy champions to join together in support of civil rights and urban progress. Attendees will have the chance to converge, network, exchange ideas, and strategize in pursuit of justice. Boasting both in-person and virtual events, the 2024 conference offers something for everyone—including several opportunities to attend programming free of cost. Read more about it and register at the link here: https://bit.ly/4eYQDv5. #DowntownNOLA #DDD #DDDEvents

Applications for the New Orleans City Council Grants Program are now open and available for submissions from organizations and projects across the city until Friday, July 19th. The New Orleans City Council-Cox Communications Louisiana's Community Grant Program is intended to foster organizations and projects that meaningfully contribute to education, technology training, communications, and similar programs benefiting the youth of the City of New Orleans. The City Council/Caesar's Community Support Grants Program provides grant support to local organizations and projects that contribute substantially to the well-being, development, and growth of the New Orleans community. Learn more about each of these grants and the guidelines to apply at the link here: https://bit.ly/3WgluMF. #DowntownNOLA #DDD #DowntownDevelopmentNOLA

An update on DDD office hours for Thursday, July 4th and Friday, July 5th. #DowntownNOLA #DDD

Advantage Capital has access to $40MM to invest in LA through the LA New Markets Job Act. They provide business-friendly capital for growth initiatives at Louisiana-based businesses. Typical use of their capital includes expansion, equipment financing, general working capital, acquisitions, ownership transitions, and refinancing. Join their team—alongside cohosts DDD, New Orleans Business Alliance, and Algiers Economic Development Foundation (AEDF)—at The Shop Workspace (900 Camp Street) on Thursday, July 18th at 2:30PM to hear directly from the Advantage Capital Louisiana Team and learn more about how they could help your small business expand, create quality, foster accessible jobs, and spur economic growth within the Downtown community. Eligible businesses are industry-agonistic companies with 10+ employees and a desire to add more with investment; they also have a revenue of over or about $5M and a check size of $2-5M. There is no cost to attend this in-person information session; to register, please RSVP via email to DDD Chief Economic Development Officer René Pastorek, AICP, ENV SP at rpastorek@downtownnola.com. #DowntownNOLA #DDD #DowntownDevelopmentNOLA

Major institutions in the Downtown BioMedical District continue to support growth and innovation through recent patent activity. In 2023, researchers secured 11 patents between the LSU and Tulane University's Downtown campuses. Six patents were awarded toLSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans last year, with the larger LSU system ranking among the top institutions to receive utility patents in the United States. On Tulane University's Downtown Campus, researchers pulled in five patents in 2023, reflecting the university’s 70% increase in biomedical and academic research over the past six years. Tulane also received many more patents from its Uptown campus. With two major institutions and a third on the way—the Xavier-Ochsner College of Medicine—Downtown is poised for a bright future in the biomedical field. You can read more about DDD’s support of this research and development in the DDD Economic Development Strategy HERE: https://bit.ly/3JPBXjE #DowntownNOLA #DDD #DowntownDevelopmentNOLA

DDD and the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce joined this week to recognize business milestones in the Downtown Development District. Celebrations included the renaming of FERRARA SHOWMAN GALLERY (400A Julia Street) in the Arts District, the official launch of Drip Affogato Bar’s latest Downtown location (336 Camp Street, Suite 100), and the opening of Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers' new office on Poydras Street (1100 Poydras Street, Suite 3900). We congratulate these businesses on their respective achievements and thank them for the commerce, culture, and excellence they bring to the DDD. To read more on Ferrara Showman, Drip Affogato Bar, and Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers, please visit the link to the DDD newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3VR5VcS. #DowntownNOLA #DDD #DDDEvents #NewToNOLA #DowntownDevelopmentNOLA

It is with deep sadness that our team hears of the passing of life-long New Orleans advocate and politician Jackie Clarkson. "She loved the people of New Orleans as much as she loved her family," a statement from her family said. "Her legacy of service will be felt for generations to come." May she Rest in Peace. #DowntownNOLA #DDD

Last week, District B Council Member Lesli Harris shared the significant progress achieved by the Downtown-based “Home for Good New Orleans” unsheltered homelessness elimination program. Throughout the past year, Harris revealed, New Orleans’ count of people living outside has gone down by an impressive 12%— in large part due to the collective efforts of Home for Good. The initiative's efforts have now housed 155 people experiencing homelessness by closing six encampments in and around the Downtown area; the latest of those, located along the Calliope corridor between Baronne and Carondelet, was closed on Thursday, June 13th. Of the 155 individuals relocated from the now-closed encampments, 97% have remained housed. DDD applauds Council Member Harris and the associated Home for Good agencies and employees who work tirelessly towards ending homelessness in New Orleans—both Downtown and beyond. Learn more about Home for Good and demonstrate your support for the initiative by visiting the link here: https://bit.ly/4c9qLep. #DowntownNOLA #DDD #HomeForGoodNewOrleans