Sobering Center: Odyssey House Louisiana, in partnership with the New Orleans Health Department, Emergency Medical Services and other agencies, is preparing to reopen at its Claiborne Avenue location after being forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. Opening is tentatively scheduled for mid-June.

Sober Patrol and Homeless Assistance Unit: Plans are underway to secure use of a van by NOPD for the Sober Patrol to expand services in the 8th District. The Homeless Assistance Unit has expanded its work and capacity and plans for increased work with the homeless in the French Quarter and CBD to assist them in accessing services with long-term housing as a central goal.

Homeless Enforcement: The new Grounds Patrol operation under NOHSEP on French Market Corporation properties has begun hiring. Existing NOHSEP Grounds Patrol officers have been transferred and have begun regular enforcement efforts to move persons out of the area. As NOHSEP is able to fully staff up operation, enforcement in FMC property areas should continue to improve.

600 & 700 Blocks of Conti Full-Depth Reconstruction: The City of New Orleans, Department of Public Works and Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans began a $4.3 million full-depth reconstruction (replacement of the roadway and underground utilities) project on Conti Street between Bourbon and Chartres streets in March 2021. Hard Rock Construction Co., LLC crews have completed excavating the roadway in the 700 block and are currently installing the new waterline and upsized drainage line in that block. Entergy Gas and Entergy Electric are presently upgrading their facilities in the 600 block.

$2 million French Quarter Sidewalk Improvements: The City is investing $2 million in bond funds to improve sidewalks in residential parts of the French Quarter. Work is 90% complete on Barracks Street, 70% complete on Gov. Nicholls Street and 30% complete on Ursulines Avenue; work is also planned on St. Phillip Street as part of this program. After a two-month pause due to an issue with granite curbs throughout the project area, work will resume in the next week on Ursulines Avenue. All segments of the French Quarter Sidewalk Improvement Plan are expected to be complete in summer 2021.

Pavement Restoration: The City of New Orleans Department of Public Works maintenance contractor Hard Rock Construction Co., LLC began an approximately $600,000 pavement restoration project of roadway panels and sidewalk sections on Bourbon Street between Canal Street and St. Philip Street in March 2021. A number of utility companies recently completed work permitted by the City, so in order to ensure that the pavement is restored properly, the City’s maintenance contractor is handling that operation.

In addition to maintaining all of the trees in the French Quarter public right-of-way, Parks and Parkways is responsible for managing the upkeep of Louis Armstrong Park, Jackson Square, the NORDC Cabrini Playground turf maintenance, Rampart Street and Esplanade Avenue. 

Louis Armstrong Park/Congo Square (Adjacent to the French Quarter): Parks and Parkways staff maintains a wide variety of plants, trees, and flowers in Louis Armstrong Park with regular pruning and weeding. Staff members also clean the outside perimeter weekly, maintain the interior turf twice monthly and skim the lagoon thrice weekly. Daily upkeep includes removing litter, emptying trash cans and enforcing park rules. When the need arises, staff members pressure wash areas, which also includes removing graffiti.

Jackson Square: Parks and Parkways staff maintains a variety of shrubs, plants and flowers including antique roses and the majestic live oaks that give canopy cover to the pedestrian malls on the St. Ann and St. Peter sides of the park. Staff also regularly maintains the fountain, which is a popular area for wedding ceremonies. Daily maintenance includes removing litter, emptying trash cans and enforcing park rules. When the need arises, staff members pressure wash areas, which also includes removing graffiti.

Rampart Street: Parks and Parkways maintains the turf and trees in the neutral ground on Rampart Street.

Esplanade Avenue: Parks and Parkways maintains Esplanade Avenue from North Peters Street to Moss Street at Bayou St. John. This includes cutting the turf, picking up trash, and maintaining the plantings from North Peters Street to North Miro Street.

Ground Transportation Bureau (GTB) performed a coordinated enforcement sweep on May 14 that led to citations being issued to a pedicab, a taxi, and a limo.

All three vehicles were being operated with expired GTB Inspections, and two of the vehicles had expired CPNCs.

A “Do Not Operate” notice was issued to all three operators and GTB is working with each to help them come into compliance.

City sanitation contractor Empire Services performs a comprehensive range of services in the French Quarter, including:

• Daily solid waste collection for eligible service locations
• Weekly recycling collection from eligible service locations
• Daily litter removal from the public right-of-way
• Daily public litter can collection
• Daily flushing, mechanical street sweeping
• Daily pressure washing of sidewalks in the commercial area of the FQ
• Monthly pressure washing of sidewalks in the residential area of the FQ
• Monthly surface cleaning of high-traffic corridors
• Graffiti removal from public infrastructure
• Supplemental organic waste removal
• Increased staffing & equipment for special events, including Mardi Gras

Vieux Carré Commission has taken action on several properties in the French Quarter that have suffered from neglect, decay, graffiti and other negative effects – specifically on Bourbon, Chartres and Rampart streets. Many of the properties have either been cleaned up, renovated or, in one worst-case scenario, demolished. In one instance, on Rampart Street, after a lengthy review of two adjacent buildings, they have been renovated and have been converted to a casual restaurant and a bar returning two historic buildings to commerce. This will be a vast improvement to this important commercial corridor. Similarly, This c. 1856 two-story masonry townhouse on Bourbon Street (pictured) has an uncommon configuration of openings on the ground floor of the front façade which include a grand recessed entrance in the Greek Revival style and an adjacent carriageway entrance. Unfortunately, the recessed entrance creates an alcove that is frequently used for unfortunate and unsanitary behavior. In recent years this location has also suffered from extreme amounts of graffiti. The current owners have successfully removed the graffiti and are working aggressively to keep the entryway well illuminated and clean.

CleanUpNOLA is a citywide effort to coordinate and fundamentally restructure the City’s beautification and public right-of-way maintenance efforts. Through targeted catalytic investments in cleanup efforts, CleanUpNOLA aims to pilot new transformative business models, evaluate their effectiveness, and sustainably scale successful initiatives.