Lesson for FOLC: If they don't put it on paper, its not going to happen. St. Thomas is the perfect example of developers making promises to both the residents and the surrounding community. But once St. Thomas came down, the truth became apparent. Former residents were ignored and the neighboring properties to St. Thomas were torn apart by the "redevelopment". For developers, the dollar is the bottom line.
From the FOLC list:
The City Council is scheduled to hear Tom Bauer's request for rezoning a
group of properties in the area bounded by Basin St., N.Claiborne, Lafitte St,.
and St. Louis beginning at 11:30 am tomorrow. The parcels under consideration include land currently owned by the City that represents the footprint of the historic Carondelet Canal and that is
very important in determining how the linear park will meet up with and terminate at Basin St.
Mr. Bauer has agreed to the recommendations of the City Planning staff that the land be rezoned from Light Industrial to a mix of C1/C1A, with the riverside portion between Marais and Basin designated C1A, and the lakeside portion between Marais and N Claiborne designated C1. After hearing the concerns of members of several neighborhood groups who have met with Mr. Bauer, and considering the potential impacts of the proposed rezoning on the future of the linear park, I recommend that FOLC ask the Council tomorrow to defer approval of the change to C1 on the lakeside portion, because under the C1 designation, there is no limit to the height of residential buildings (i.e.: condo towers) that could be developed on this portion of the site, other than a Floor Area ratio of 4. While Mr. Bauer has committed on paper to working to facilitate creation of a bike path on a portion of this site, none of the design sketches he has made avaiblable indicate where this might be or
Articles on the Lafitte Public Housing Development.