ST. BERNARD AVENUE
Partnering to plan a commercial corridor
Home to hundreds of residents and dozens of businesses and institutions, St. Bernard Avenue is an important place of connection and cultural expression in the 7th Ward. From January to May 2019, a team of MIT planning and real estate students are partnering with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) and community stakeholders to create a plan for the corridor that captures the visions and goals of its residents, businesses, visitors, and partners.
ABOUT
This spring, 11 MIT graduate students are working together with a committee of businesses, residents, property owners, non-profit organizations, and the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) to prepare a commercial district revitalization plan. With a focus on the St. Bernard Avenue Corridor between Rampart and Broad Streets, the plan aims to strengthen existing economic and physical features and build the capacity of community champions to implement goals. The effort is part of a course, Revitalizing Urban Main Streets, co-taught by Karl Seidman and Marie Law Adams and TA'd by Morgan Augillard and Dasjon Jordan.
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If you're interested in finding out more about our work with St. Bernard Avenue or getting involved, please don't hesitate to reach out!
PROGRESS
Over the course of 4 months, our planning process will involve ongoing phases of research, idea generation, reflection, and stakeholder feedback. Look out for updates and public presentations below.
INITIALFINDINGS
During the last week of January, the planning team made its first visit to New Orleans and St. Bernard Avenue. Over the course of 5 days, we met with stakeholders, collected information from interviews and walks along the corridor, and learned about other projects enhancing the economic and cultural strengths of the city. We discussed our observations and initial thoughts with partners in the Nora Navra Library on February 1.
MARCHCOMMUNITYMEETING
At the end of March, part of the planning team returned to St. Bernard Avenue for a community meeting at the Nora Navra library. We presented our current findings and asked for community input on how to focus our work during the last 1.5 months of the project. We were surprised and delighted to see over 60 members of the St. Bernard community in attendance, and received a lot of great feedback on what to prioritize going forward. At our next community meeting, we will present a draft of the plan for further community feedback. We are still in the process of finalizing the date, but expect it will take place towards the end of April. Follow us on Facebook for updates on the next meeting date!
APRILCOMMUNITYMEETING
On April 30, the planning team prepared a series of initial proposals for each focus area that had been selected by community members and stakeholders during the March visit. The 3 plan focus areas are: 1) support small and existing businesses, 2) invest in public infrastructure, and 3) provide affordable housing. Residents provided feedback for ideas that ranged from starting a business association to building new open spaces to creating a one-stop housing service center on the corridor. These conversations will help determine what strategies are included and detailed in the final plan.
GET IN TOUCH
Please share your questions or ideas about St. Bernard Avenue with the student planning team at MIT!