Wilcox Academy at 2723 Freret Street in Central City

NORA Board of Commissioners Awards $500,000 in Early Childhood Education Facilities Grants

Earlier this month, the NORA Board of Commissioners approved the first awards from its newly established Early Childhood Education Facilities Grant Program, comprised of$500,000 in grants to support the development of two new early childhood education facilities set to be operated by Aireca Anderson of Inquisitive Thinkers in the Milan neighborhood and Rochelle Wilcox of Wilcox Academy in Central City.

Launched in September 2024, the Early Childhood Education Facilities Grant Program is funded with $3.875 million allocated by Agenda for Children, which manages the proceeds of the 2022 Early Childhood Education Property Tax, which was overwhelmingly approved by New Orleans voters.

“We are thrilled to partner with experienced operators to deliver new, high-quality early learning facilities to neighborhoods that need them most,” said NORA Executive Director Brenda M. Breaux. “These grants not only create new educational opportunities but also bring underutilized properties back into commerce, revitalizing our commercial corridors and strengthening our neighborhoods.”

Learn more about the ECE Facilities Grant Program here.

NORA and Partners Break Ground on Louisiana Avenue Firehouse Redevelopment

The transformation of the historic Louisiana Avenue Firehouse into a mixed-use development featuring seven affordable apartments and a sixty-seat early childhood education center is finally under way! The firehouse is the first project under the new Redevelopment Framework between the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) and the City of New Orleans. The partnership is designed to bring underutilized City-owned properties back into commerce and support affordable housing and economic development.  NORA also acquired the adjacent vacant lot at 2316 Louisiana Avenue which is being utilized to support the early childhood education center.  The redevelopment of the firehouse is being led by People’s Housing+ with the support of Alembic Community Development.

“We are thrilled to break ground on the Louisiana Avenue Firehouse project, a transformative development that reflects our commitment to creating affordable, sustainable housing and expanding early childhood education access in New Orleans,” said NORA Executive Director Brenda Breaux. “With the passage of the Housing Trust Fund, we have an unprecedented opportunity to preserve and create housing opportunities and bring even more projects like this to life—projects that can empower our residents, support economic growth, and strengthen our neighborhoods. NORA will continue its efforts to leverage partnerships and resources in creating a more inclusive and resilient city.”

NORA Project Manager Charlotte Giroux, Chief of Strategy Seth Knudsen, Executive Director Brenda M. Breaux, Board Chairperson Adam Stumpf, and Commissioner John Sullivan

Support the Lower Ninth Ward St. Claude Avenue Retail Market Study!

The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) has partnered with the City of New Orleans to launch the St. Claude Avenue Revitalization program to support the return of abandoned, blighted, vacant, and underutilized properties to commerce on St. Claude Avenue the Lower Ninth Ward.

This project is all about expanding the goods and services available on St. Claude Avenue, with a focus on bringing a new supermarket to the community and supporting existing businesses to better meet residents' needs. In order to do that, NORA has hired &Access to conduct a retail market study to determine what the community can support.

&Access is currently collecting data from Lower Ninth Ward residents. If you or anyone you know lives in the Lower Ninth Ward, please help us gather information on shopping habits:

1. Text Your Receipts

Snap a photo of a recent grocery receipt and text it to (504) 229-2218. Your participation helps us to understand the community’s shopping habits and collect information on the community’s need for fresh, affordable, and culturally relevant food options. Bonus: You’ll be entered to win a $25 gift card!

2. Take the Retail Needs Survey
We’d love to hear from you! Spend just 10 minutes on our quick survey to share your thoughts on the goods and services you’d like to see in the community. Take the survey here: https://bit.ly/stclaudesurvey.

Questions? Click here to learn more!

NORA Staff Member Spotlight

Name: Cooper Komatsu

Title: Database Manager

Joined NORA: June 2024

About: Cooper Komatsu is the database manager at NORA. Originally from Los Angeles, he graduated from the University of Chicago in June 2024 with a BA in Environmental and Urban Studies and an MA in Social Science, with a focus in Geographic Information Science. So far at NORA, he has enjoyed producing mapping projects, working with new database technology, getting to explore the world of housing policy and urban planning, and learning from his amazing co-workers.

Fun Fact: Cooper has played Scrabble competitively since he was 8 years old. Recently, Cooper had the opportunity to travel to London and compete on the CW game show Scrabble, where he won the grand prize of $10,000!