NEW ORLEANS - At today's meeting, the Council approved funding for two priorities of District "C" Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer. The Council passed a motion (M-19-482) declaring Higgins Gate, a blighted apartment complex located at 2646 Westbend Parkway, "an imminent threat to public safety and property and a public emergency and appropriating $800,000 for the immediate clean-up of the site. Additionally, the 2020 Budget approved by the Council today provides $250,000 for a comprehensive water management plan for Algiers.
Higgins Gate was demolished in 2009 and has become a dumping site over the years, creating an eyesore for residents near General De Gaulle, a major thoroughfare in Algiers. Since then, funding has never been allocated to remove trash and debris and clean up the blighted property. The emergency declaration and $800,000 dollars will allow the City to immediately "secure the necessary contractors and services for the remediation" of the site.
In addition, recent rain events have started flooding areas of the City that have never flooded before, including Algiers. The current approach to managing stormwater means the water that falls must be pumped out, which leads to water and soil subsidence. An investment in a comprehensive and innovative urban water management system can reduce flooding, slow land subsidence and encourage neighborhood revitalization. With the assistance of a federal grant, Gentilly was the recipient of the City's first Resilience District. The $250,000 will assist in ensuring Algiers has the opportunity to apply for its own resiliency funding from federal grants.
"Since my first term in 2010, I have made it my top priority to clean up Higgins Gate. I would like to thank the administration for their work to help secure funding when past administrations did not give it the attention it deserved. Today's motion finally removes any outstanding legal and financial obstacles to clear the Higgins Gate site. I also appreciate the Council for allocating funds for two projects that are critical to the Algiers community," said Councilmember Palmer.
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Media Contact:
Tiffaney Bradley
Communications Director
Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer, District "C"
Tiffaney.bradley@nola.gov
(504) 295-4970