Desire Area Neighborhood, Planning District Seven

Desire Area Neighborhood Planning District 7 Rebuilding Plan Desire Area Neighborhood, Planning District Seven Table of Contents Introduction A. Desire Area Neighborhood 3 Approximately 100 days after Hurricane Planning District 7, the subject of the Ackowledgements Location and History 3 Katrina struck, Motion M-05-592 was following report, includes 4 geographically With grateful appreciation the planning team Recovery Vision and Goals 4 unanimously passed by the City Council of specific neighborhoods: St. Claude, St. would like to thank all the residents of Planning Process and Neighborhood Participation 5 New Orleans. This motion ensured that Roch, Florida Area and Desire Area. community-based, neighborhood-by- District 7 who participated in this planning Planning Efforts Pre-Hurricane Katrina 6 neighborhood planning would be central to Basic assumptions also formed the basis for process and without whose participation this decisions associated with the recovery of the the Planning District 9 Recovery Plan: plan would not be possible. B. Pre-Hurricane Katrina Neighborhood most devastated areas of New Orleans. The Existing Conditions 9 City Council was adamant that the people 1) That a flood protection system will Land Use and Zoning 9 most impacted by the storm would play a be designed to withstand future catastrophic City of New Orleans Pre-Katrina Demographic Profile 9 central role in defining the future of their loss from a 1 in 100 year storm and that this C. Ray Nagin, Mayor Recreation and Open Space 11 communities. Overall, 47 of the 73 is a commitment by the Federal Roadway Hierarchy and Jurisdiction 11 neighborhoods delineated by the City’s Government; New Orleans City Council: Housing, Architecture and Historic Preservation 12 Planning Commission have had plans prepared as part of this process. 2) That stringent building codes will Oliver M. Thomas, President be implemented to further limit wind C. Hurricane Katrina Neighborhood Impacts 13 Arnie Fielkow, Vice-President The City Council charged a team of damage; Extent of Flooding 13 Shelley Midura, District A consultants overseen by Lambert Advisory & 3) That the basic urban structure of Damage Assessment Stacy S. Head, District B SHEDO with assisting neighborhoods flooded the city is sound and that rebuilding will Residential Properties Damage Assessment 13 James Carter, District C by Hurricane Katrina in developing respect this structure; Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, District D Commercial Properties Damage Assessment 13 revitalization plans that are thoughtful and 4)That there is an organized, Cynthia Willard-Lewis, District E Infrastructure Damage Assessment 14 can be implemented, for incorporation into a coherent and operable Hurricane Evacuation Parks and Open Space Damage Assessment 15 citywide recovery and improvement plan to Program. Community Facilities 15 be submitted to the State of Louisiana and Project Management: Schools and universities 15 federal funding agencies. This document is one of forty-two (42) neighborhood plans Lambert Advisory, LLC Paul Lambert D. Neighborhood Rebuilding Scenarios 17 that meet that mandate. Neighborhood Re-population 18 SHEDO, LLC City Planning Commission: Shelia Danzey 2 E. Neighborhood Recovery Plan 19 Planning District Strategic Initiatives 19 Designations Overall Planning Consultant: Plan Elements Bermello-Ajamil & Partners, Inc. Key Recovery and Development Projects 22 Alfredo C. Sanchez, AIA, AICP Land Use and Zoning 23 Parks, Open Space and Landscape Architecture 23 Hewitt-Washington, Inc. Transportation and Public Transit 23 Lonnie Hewitt, AIA Housing, Architecture and Historic Preservation 23 Utilities and Municipal Services 23 Neighborhood Planner: Human Services and Community facilities 24 St. Martin - Brown & Associates, LLC F. Implementation and Funding Strategies 25 Joseph St. Martin Deron Brown City of New Orleans Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan A. Desire Area Neighborhood Location and History New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad, and the Public Beltway. The Desire Neighborhood is actually classified as two areas by the New Orleans In the early 1930’s, the Desire Area City Planning Commission: Desire Area and neighborhood was home to many low Desire Development. The Desire area is income whites that settled in housing units located in the northernmost part of along Almonaster, Chef Menteur, Peoples, Planning District 7. The Desire Area is and St. Ferdinand. This area is now known bordered by the Industrial Canal to its as Indian Village. As the area began to east, Florida Avenue to the south, Chef grow and the rail system boomed,the area Menteur Highway to the north, and the began to become more urbanized. The Peoples Avenue Canal and Almonaster Desire neighborhood was one of the first to 3 Boulevard to the west. The Desire promote African American homeownership. Development is bounded by Higgins Like in Gentilly, lots were approximately 60 Boulevard to the north, Florida Avenue to feet by 80 feet and ranged in price from the south, Piety Street and Desire Street to $3,000 to $4,000. The Colored Industrial the west and Alvar Road to the east. Home and School Association was one of the first major property owners in Desire. The history of development in the neighborhood is similar to the other The Desire Development, like the Florida neighborhoods in District 7 and dates back Development, was a direct result of the to 1899 when Orleans Parish passed 1937 Housing Act also known as the legislation to drain various back swamp Wagner Act. The Desire Development was areas of the city. Between 1900 and 1920, one of the last developmentsthat was various canals along Franklin, Alvar, and constructed under the Title III program of Desire served as a drainage system for the the 1949 US Housing Program. As part of area. From 1919 to 1935 the canals were the Title II program two elementary replaced with subsurface drainage and schools were constructed: Moton and covered. This made the area more Lockett. desirable for development and increased the level of railroad development. As the The Desire Development was one of the Image top left to right: area developed and the Industrial Canal more poorly constructed developments. In reached completion, light industrial order to cut costs, the structures were built A: Desire Street Ministries development became increasingly of wood with a brick veneer. The cost B: Sampson Playground attractive. By 1946, the area was savings on initial construction caused major C: Desire Housing Pre-Katrina supported by the Gulf Mobile, Ohio long-term damage. Insurance costs were Railroad, Louisville and Nashville Railroad, extremely high since the structures were Neighborhood Boundaries in District 7 (Above) Source: City of New Orleans - 1999 Land Use Plan Desire Area Neighborhood, Planning District Seven not fire-resistant. Additionally, Edwards Elementary, Carver Middle and maintenance and upkeep were very Senior High School, St. Phillip School, expensive. Sampson Playground and Magrauer Memorial Playground. The site of the Desire Development was isolated from the rest of the neighborhood. Both the Desire Area and the Desire Being surrounded by the Industrial Canal, Development were devastated by Hurricane Florida Avenue Canal and railroad tracks Betsy in 1965. Saturated with over 6 feet made it almost impossible for residents of of floodwater, the homes have never been the development to interact with their able to fully recover. adjacent neighbors. Over the years the 4 development experienced major problems, Many of the neighborhood’s assets were including physical deterioration, poor greatly devastated by the flood waters and maintenance, impoverished conditions, catastrophic winds of Hurricane Katrina. drug-related crime, and documented However, neighborhood residents realize problems of police brutality and corruption. that the winds and waters of Katrina also created an opportunity to uncover some of In 1995, the Desire Development was the neighborhood’s forgotten assets. awarded a HOPE VI grant structured to improve the living conditions and environment of the development. The site has been since redeveloped as three separate phases known as Abundance Square, Treasure Village, and Savoy Place. The Desire neighborhood has several neighborhood parks, churches, schools, and commercial developments. The neighborhood is rich in community and civic history. Some of the most notable fixtures Images from left to right: include the Barbara M. Andrews, Barbara Hooker, Willie Polk Jr. Multi Service Center, A: Aerial map of Desire Area Sampson Playground, St. Phillip Community B: Desire Housing Pre-Katrina Center, the Sidney Collier Campus of the C: Desire Housing - Abundance Square Louisiana Technical College, and the recently added Desire Street Ministries. Neighborhood schools and parks include City of New Orleans Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan Recovery Vision and Goals When Hurricane Betsy hit in 1965, the site Neighborhood Recovery Goals • Recover, expand, and design beautiful was reopened for collection of storm open spaces and parks; The Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan provides related debris. It was officially re-closed in The recovery plan is to be used as a tool for a vision and framework for physical 1966 but many say the dumping continued the community to ensure that the character • New pocket parks to satisfy the needs of improvements, economic sustainability and beyond that point. In 1976 the dump site of Desire is preserved. The plan provides a Desire residents; community enhancements

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