City of New Orleans Awarded $2 Million from EPA for Remediation of Former Naval Support Activity Complex
NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans today announced an award of $2 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support the environmental remediation of the former Naval Support Activity Complex (NSA) located in the Bywater neighborhood. The award was from the EPA’s Brownfields Cleanup Grant program, funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“The City of New Orleans is honored to be selected by the Environmental Protection Agency for this funding, a critical next step towards the renovation of this immense and derelict property,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “This grant will help the transformation of this long vacant Brownfield site, which when renovated will provide much needed affordable housing, commerce and job creation.”
The Brownfields Cleanup Grants program provides funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites to allow for future development. Funds are used to address sites contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants, including hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum, and petroleum.
The former NSA complex was completed in 1919 by the United States Navy and was used as a logistic station to protect the Port of New Orleans from attack, a shelter and training center for the unemployed and homeless during the Great Depression and later as a recruiting and training station for multiple military branches. It was deactivated and sold to the City of New Orleans in 2011 to facilitate its redevelopment. The complex is currently vacant and primarily consists of three 84,000 square-foot, 6-story buildings within an approximately 1.5 million square-foot site. All three buildings are listed under criteria A on the National Register of Historic Places due to its military history.
“I’m proud to join with the City of New Orleans to celebrate this $2 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency,” said Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. “Cleaning up the Naval Support Activity East Bank Complex will transform this vacant, contaminated land into a place that benefits Louisianans. Reinvesting in this site will bring new jobs, safeguard the environment and preserve natural areas.”
“Cleaning up contaminated sites and bringing them back into productive, commercial use will make Louisiana a better place to live and work,” said Louisiana Senator Dr. Bill Cassidy. “The infrastructure law continues to provide the funds needed to make these efforts possible in our communities, and there is more to come.”
Future development of the property will create mixed-use buildings with 295 affordable residential units. A local grocery store will be the primary first floor retailer included in the development plan. The vacant lots included in the development will be transformed into a recreational area for residents, in addition to hosting public events. Recreational areas will include walking trails with native and pollinator plants to support the bee and butterfly populations and a stage for local music and events to further promote the music culture of New Orleans. The flat roof tops of the buildings are slated to become a site for solar panel installation to assist with powering the property and storing energy for power outages. Energy efficient appliances are included in the build out as well. There will be no displacement of residents included in this project; alternately, affordable housing will create placement and housing for residents.
The application for the award was submitted by the New Orleans City Planning Commission’s Brownfield Program, in coordination with Mayor Cantrell’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Task Force. The City created the multi-departmental IIJA Task Force in January 2022 to analyze infrastructure needs within the City and secure funding from the new infrastructure law.
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