Return to the Gulf Coast

It's been a while since I posted updates about the Gulf Coast recovery efforts. There are still ongoing problems and concerns with the levee system in and around New Orleans, the pace of rebuilding is far too slow for most everyone, and the rebuilding in New Orleans is now being threatened by delays in the review process that puts billions of at risk. There aren't enough people to actually handle the review process.

Unless the New Orleans City Council authorizes more employees for its City Planning Commission and Safety and Permits Department, delays in the planning review process may force developers to scrap billions of dollars worth of projects, potentially dealing a blow to the city’s recovery effort, a slate of prominent business people told council members this week.

The group, comprised of developers, real estate brokers and architects, presented a list of 30 projects, including a Poydras Street hotel and condominium tower proposed by New York real estate magnate Donald Trump, that they said have been submitted to the city but not yet scheduled for a public hearing because of backlogs in understaffed city departments.

Because developers cannot keep projects alive indefinitely, especially in light of a 2008 deadline by which projects must be put into commerce to qualify for federal tax incentives prompted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, such a delay could mean the death of developments crucial to New Orleans’ revival.

“At this rate, the city cannot be rebuilt,” architect Peter Trapolin said. “Developers are going to back off projects if they can’t get the projects moving.”
The city also needs more planners to revise its comprehensive zoning ordinance to include recent changes to federal base flood elevation maps, said Zella May, a longtime member of the Downtown Development District board. More code inspectors also will be needed to make sure residents are complying with new rules, she said.

Problems could be averted and billions of dollars in investment salvaged if the council were to vote to spend several hundred thousand dollars to fill salaried positions left vacant after the city laid off 3,000 workers in the wake of Katrina, business leaders said.

Roads throughout the region, including New Orleans, are still in bad shape - especially due to all the new utility cuts to restore service.

Up the coast, the situation in Mississippi is somewhat improved, especially in casino country.

Rising from Ruin is a good roundup of the reactions from Mississippi.

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