On April 23, 2020 in Louisiana, the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) Board of Commissioners adopted the Port NOLA Inner Harbor Economic Revitalization Plan (PIER Plan). It’s a collaborative vision to revitalize the Inner Harbor Industrial corridor, increase commercial activity and create jobs for area residents.
“Together with tenants, operators and partners, Port NOLA serves as an economic catalyst that drives global trade and local prosperity. The PIER Plan and its focus on the Inner Harbor will guide the Port’s short, medium and long-term goals toward that prosperity,” said Brandy D. Christian, President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans and CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.
“We know that revitalization and future development cannot be done in a vacuum, and we were gratified to engage and work with a diverse range of stakeholders in the process,” he added.
The PIER Plan, a collaborative planning project with the City of New Orleans, focuses on future development of the Port’s Inner Harbor and was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Other key partners include the Regional Planning Commission (RPC), Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. A diverse stakeholder panel helped provide input and feedback over the course of more than two years of data gathering, analysis and public meetings.
“The Regional Planning Commission supports the Port of New Orleans’ planning efforts,” said Adam Tatar, RPC’s Brownfields Coordinator. “The PIER Plan was drafted with extensive stakeholder involvement and technical expertise, and it will help to guide the use of EPA funds under our joint Brownfield Assessment Grant.”
The Port NOLA Strategic Master Plan, adopted in 2018, laid out a bold vision for the next 20 years and a roadmap for growth that identified a need for regional freight-based economic development. This planning effort provided the framework for the PIER Plan.
“The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s Brownfields Program has enjoyed working with Port NOLA and their partners on the development of the PIER Plan,” said Rebecca Otte, LDEQ’s Statewide Brownfield Coordinator. “We hope that this plan will support the Port’s efforts to revitalize the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal corridor, redevelop vacant and underutilized properties and attract businesses that will provide living wage jobs for the community.”
The PIER Plan encompasses community needs and capacity into a vision for future development that benefits the entire region.
Featured photo (by Kent Phillips / Disney) shows the Disney Wonder’s inaugural sail on February 7, 2020.