City of New Orleans Press Releases

As part of the continuing effort to re-green the City of New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Department of Parks and Parkways this week will kick off the Public Greenspace Tree Replacement and Restoration program to replace damaged trees and add fill to potholes or depressions on targeted public greenspace.

On Thursday, March 18th the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works will hold its first abandoned vehicle auction of the year. The auction will begin at 9 a.m. at Almonaster Auto Pound, 10200 Almonaster Avenue. Vehicle preview day is tomorrow, March 17, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission to view the vehicles will close at 3:30 p.m. Those already admitted will be allowed to stay until 4 p.m.

The City of New Orleans reminds residents that the 3-1-1 Call Center that handled citizen complaints and requests for service was discontinued effective January 1, 2010 following budget cuts made by the City Council.

While many college students spend this week frolicking on the beach or resting, 50 Howard University students will spend part of their spring break assisting the City's Department of Environmental Affairs with a Christmas tree recycling program and a project to stabilize the shoreline.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs begins restoration and repair of the original Pan American Life Insurance Company Building...

On Monday, March 15 beginning at approximately 9a.m., the segment of Gravier Street between S. Johnson Street and Galvez Street will be converted from its current two-way directional status to one-way operation.

I sincerely appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Senate, especially Senators Mary Landrieu and David Vitter, to obtain extensions to much needed GO Zone provisions in the recently passed tax extenders bill.

At the request of the White House National Security Staff, Mayor Nagin along with the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness led a conference call discussion on National Preparedness issues with the US Conference of Mayors Stafford Act Reform Task Force that the Mayor chairs.

The March 10, 2010 demolition event of the Algiers Regional Library will be rescheduled to a later date a result because of inclement weather. The City of New Orleans will inform the media and residents of District C of the rescheduled event when more information is available.

On March 10, 2010, Mayor C. Ray Nagin will be joined by City Council Members, New Orleans Public Library Chief Operating Officer Rica Trigs and residents from District C for a demolition event to mark the first phase of construction on a new library in Algiers. The new Algiers Regional Library is one of five new libraries slated to be built at a total cost of more than $27 million. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at 3014 Holiday Drive in Algiers.

Yesterday, Mayor C. Ray Nagin, Chair of the US Conference of Mayors (USCM) national Stafford Act Reform Task Force testified before the Congressional Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mayor Nagin visited again today with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to discuss the US Conference of Mayors Stafford Act Reform Task Force report and the pending Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) legislation that would replenish depleted emergency disaster funds for New Orleans, as well as, other impacted cities across the country.

Yesterday, Mayor C. Ray Nagin, Chair of the US Conference of Mayors (USCM) national Stafford Act Reform Task Force testified before the Congressional Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee is chaired by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia. Mayor Nagin was joined yesterday by fellow committee members Mayor Franklin Cownie (Des Moines) and Mayor Robert Duffy (Rochester).

Today, Mayor C. Ray Nagin and the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works celebrates the grand opening of Second Line Stages, the first green independent stages in New Orleans. Recently, the Department of Public Works completed a five-month roadway rehabilitation project, upon approval by the Mayor. The street work included Market Street, Richard Street, Chippewa Street and St. Thomas Street surrounding the new stages.

Tomorrow, Mayor C. Ray Nagin will return to Washington, D.C. to testify before Congress as a follow-up to the Stafford Act Reform report adopted by the US Conference of Mayors (USCM) in January. Mayor Nagin serves as National Chair of the USCM Stafford Act Reform Task Force.

The weather forecast indicates the temperature or wind chill factor in the City of New Orleans is expected to reach 38 degrees or below during the next 48-hour period. All citizens should take appropriate precautions to protect themselves from the potentially dangerous effects of this weather.

Robert Mendoza, director of the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works, will present the City's plan to implement extended parking meter hours and locations during tomorrow's City Council Public Works Committee meeting. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in City Council Chambers.

The resurfacing of Harrison Avenue from Marconi Drive to Wisner Boulevard has been completed as part of the South Louisiana Submerged Roads Program. As part of the project, new bicycle lanes and sidewalks have been incorporated through City Park.

Today, the City of New Orleans released an Invitation to Bid for NOFD Engine 10 located at 14069 Morrison Road. As a result of Hurricane Katrina, this facility sustained approximately 2 feet of flooding. The Engine was originally built in 1976 and is located in Eastern New Orleans. This rebuilding project will include some of the following improvements:

The City of New Orleans & Mayor C. Ray Nagin announced today a special benefit concert for Haiti featuring Los Hombres Calientes: Reunited for Haiti featuring Bill Summers, Irvin Mayfield plus special guests on Tuesday, February 23 at House of Blues, 225 Decatur Street, New Orleans. Doors open at 7pm, Show at 8pm. Tickets are $25 and all proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Efforts. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, LiveNation.com, or call House of Blues Box Office at (504)310-4999.

The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that the City of New Orleans and the Regional Transit Authority will receive $45 million through the competitive TIGER grant program to construct a new streetcar line through the Central Business District.