NEW ORLEANS — On Monday, July 11, the City of New Orleans, in partnership with the developer of this property, began to fully secure and close the site of the old Naval Base for redevelopment. Once complete, the redeveloped site will provide 295 housing units and more than 40,000 square feet of retail and commercial space.
City leaders and public safety agencies, including the Office of Economic Development, the New Orleans Police Department and UNITY of Greater New Orleans, conducted an intensive walk-through and cleanup of the site. The New Orleans Fire Department and New Orleans Emergency Medical Services were on site and ready to assist as well.
The City of New Orleans, in partnership with UNITY, visited the site regularly for approximately three weeks leading up to the site closure to conduct wellness checks and posted signage to notify individuals residing within the old Naval Base that the site would be secured and officially closed in order to begin the redevelopment process.
As of July 11, a total of 40 to 50 individuals were determined to be living within the abandoned site. UNITY of Greater New Orleans was on-site to assist those directly impacted and in need of shelter. The City of New Orleans and UNITY also reserved beds at the Low Barrier Shelter for individuals who requested access to housing resources.
This official site closure will take approximately the rest of the week to complete. Following the site closure, the developer has hired on-site 24/7 private security to ensure the safety of the site for the duration of its redevelopment and revitalization.
We appreciate the Bywater community’s patience and cooperation as the City works in collaboration with the developer and the neighborhood to safely secure and close this abandoned and deteriorating Navy base, which will ultimately improve the quality of life for residents across this entire city.
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