Friends of Lafitte Corridor is hosting a community awareness expo highlighting the Lafitte Greenway and Corridor on Saturday, October 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Carver Theater, 2101 Orleans Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116. The Greenway Expo is made possible with a grant from Neighborhood Capacity Building Initiative (NCBI) with thanks to City of New Orleans Neighborhood Engagement Office. Admission is free of charge.
The Greenway Expo will feature community musical and cultural groups, businesses from the Corridor, neighborhood associations, speakers from the City and community, construction updates and information on the Lafitte Greenway master plan.
As the City of New Orleans is now converting a stretch of vacant, public land previously used as a canal and railroad between Bayou St. John and the French Quarter into a linear park and bike path—a greenway— connecting Treme to Mid-City, the revitalization and assets this new project will bring are not well known by many residents living nearby. A survey completed by NEWCITY/Providence Community Housing in late 2013 showed that 42% of surveyed residents in the Lafitte Corridor, living no more than two or three blocks away from the Lafitte Greenway, had never heard of the Lafitte Greenway project.
To ensure that residents are stakeholders in this transformative project that will soon be focal point for the community, Friends of Lafitte Corridor invites residents and community leaders along the Lafitte Corridor to meet, learn more about the project, provide valuable feedback about what they want to see on the Greenway and how it will be used, and get resources from businesses and organizations located in the Lafitte Corridor.
Construction of the Lafitte Greenway began in March and the projected ribbon-cutting is early 2015. The Greenway features a 12-foot wide asphalt bicycle and pedestrian path extending 2.6 miles from Basin Street to N. Alexander Street in Mid-City, and will include trees, lights, native plants and meadows, rain gardens, ball fields, and more. The Lafitte Corridor consists of the Lafitte Greenway and the surrounding neighborhoods located within approximately a quarter mile.
Friends of Lafitte Corridor’s mission is to revitalize the Lafitte Corridor by working to build, program and promote the Lafitte Greenway as a great public space. Through years of advocacy, FOLC is proud to be the community leader in the efforts to transform one of New Orleans’ most historic transportation corridors into a vibran