Working Paper VIII

8/4/2019 Working Paper VIII

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Working Paper 8

BioDistrict New Orleans

Preferred PlanJune 2011



2 June 2011Working Paper 8 Table of Contents

Acknowledgement

The AECOM team would like to acknowledge

the GNOBEDD Board and staff for their input and

engagement during this Task. This report has also been

developed in coordination with the entire AECOM

team. The team includes: EDAW / AECOM, AECOM

Economics, AECOM Transportation, Bright Moments,Cannon Design, CBRE, Chester Engineers and The

Ehrhardt Group.



3

01 02

Task 8 Overview

07

Overview

Refined Alternative

Plans

11

Summary

12

Preferred Plan

20

Plan Summary

Section:

Table of Contents

04



4 June 2011Working Paper 8 Table of Contents

This page intentionally left blank.



5

Section 01:

Task 8 Overview



6 Working Paper 8 Task 8 Overview June 2011

BioDistrict New Orleans. Bird’s-eye view of a new research and residential area.



7

Task 8 Overview: Preferred PlanThe purpose of Task 8, Preferred Plan, was to use

the stakeholder feedback gathered during the Task 7

alternatives workshops to create a single, refined plan

for the BioDistrict’s. The four alternatives preceding

this final plan, and the public and technical review

comments, are all contained in Working Paper 7. The

final preferred plan is not a modified version of any

single one of the preceding alternatives, but rather an

aggregated concept representing a combination of

elements from all four alternatives, deletion of other

elements based on stakeholder feedback, and newrecommendations formulated to support and enhance

the elements of the final concept.

As could be expected in any post-Katrina planning effort in

New Orleans, there was intense discussion of alternatives.

One neighborhood organization stated a position of no-

support in early April, citing potential loss of housing stock

and fears regarding loss of zoning control. In response to

local concerns, the State Legislature authorized expansion

of the BioDistrict Board to allow two residents of the

District to serve as voting members.

The next step in the strategic planning process will be to

prepare more specific recommendations related to eachof the broad concepts contained in the Preferred Plan,

including modified roadway cross-sections, cost estimates,

development yields and policy and implementation

recommendations.

.



8 June 2011Working Paper 8 Task 8 Overview




9

Section 02:

Preferred Plan



10 June 2011Working Paper 8 Preferred Plan




11

Preferred PlanSummary

Stakeholder feedback resulted in two significant

directives for the Preferred Plan. First, community

stakeholders felt strongly that large-scale, planned

development should be directed to non-neighborhood

areas of the District and that existing, largely residential

areas be left to redevelop organically. Secondly,

residents indicated that there is no need for or interest

in a large, regional open space or park as represented

in several of the alternatives. Concerns regarding the

lack of maintenance in existing parks, and the proximity

of the LaFitte Greenway as a significant regional

recreational resource were the driving factors behind

this sentiment.

With these two key factors in mind, the Preferred

Plan seeks to strengthen the ‘key development areas’

concept on which previous alternatives were built.

The Plan identifies five key areas largely outside of the

District’s core residential areas in Gert Town, Mid-City

and New City. The plan focuses instead on the following

five areas:

• Xavier / Gert Town

(emphasizing the interface between institution

and community, more than intervention within the

neighborhood)

• Galvez Research Neighborhood

• Tulane / Canal Street

• Allied Health Campus

• Civic Center

Enhanced bicycle facilities, pedestrian malls and public art will define the

BioDistrict as a human-scaled, people-oriented, urban environment in

which to live, study and work.




Preferred Plan

Preferred Plan: Key Development Areas

Key Elements: carried forward

A number of elements from prior alternatives have been

carried forward into the Preferred Plan. These elements,

along with the alternatives in which they were included,

are listed below:

• City Hall revitalization and associated

redevelopment of Duncan Plaza. (A, B, C, D)

• A new Allied Health Sciences campus around the

former Charity Hospital complex. (A)

• Expansion of Tulane Medical School. (A)

• Reconfiguration of I-10/Claiborne Avenue

interchange. (B, C)

• Claiborne Avenue at grade. (A, B, C, D)

Key Elements: new

Recombination of the plan ‘pieces’ found in the

alternatives highlighted new opportunities and issues to

be addressed in the Preferred Plan. New elements not

shown in prior alternatives are listed below:

• Linear park redevelopment of retired railroad ROW in

Gert Town.

• Internal BioDistrict shuttle loop.

• Bicycle connections on 1/2-mile grid.

• Long-term ‘temporary’ container nurseries to source

BioDistrict street trees and plant materials.

• Close-able, pedestrian-oriented streets.

A

B

C

D E

C a r r o

l l t o n

T u la ne

Earhar t

W a s h i n g t o n

B r o a d

J e f f D a v i s

C l a i b o r n e

G a l v e z

Canal

I-10

Banks

L o y o l a

P o y d r a

s



13

Key Development Area A:

Galvez Research Neighborhood

This development area represents a complete urbanneighborhood--with places to shop, live and work—and

is expected to supply the level of amenities and housing

choice demanded by the ‘Creative Class’ demographic

working in the adjacent VA and UMC complexes, as

well as in the new R&D businesses the District hopes

to attract. Located lakeside of Claiborne Avenue, this

new development node will use Tulane Avenue and

Galvez Street as its primary retail and public/private

biotech research corridor, with an interior core of low-

and medium-density residential development clustered

around a new neighborhood park. Although a smallnumber of parcels will require downzoning from light

industrial to residential, the real challenge for this

development node is anticipated to be parcel assembly

due to the neighborhood’s large number of small, narrow

lots.

Key Development Area A: Galvez Research Neighborhood

Container nursery

G a

l v e z

S t

B r o

a d S t

Perdido St

Poydras St

Gravier St

Tulane Ave

res

res pkg

res res

R&D

RET

R&D

PKG

R&D

R&D

R&D

R&D

R&D

R&D

R&D

R & DPKG

PKG

PKG

RET RES

RES

RES

RES

RES

RES

RES RES

supportive housing

RES RES

RES

RES RES

RES

RES

RES

RES




Key Development Area B:

Xavier /Gert TownThe southwestern portion of the BioDistrict, occupied

by Xavier University and the historic Gert Town

neighborhood, suffers from a series of physical and

psychological disconnects. This focus area seeks to

promote a mutually beneficial relationship between

the community and the institution, and to mitigate the

isolating effects of the area’s roadway infrastructure.

The Action Plan underlines the need for a constructive

dialogue between the area’s two main interests, in order

to accommodate Xavier’s physical expansion needs

while also working toward revitalization of this historicneighborhood, including rebuilding and reopening the

community pool and elementary school.

In order to reconnect Xavier and Gert Town with the rest

of the District, the Plan recommends the creation of a

linear green space along the alignment of the old Illinois

Central Railroad; this park will serve as both amenity and

non-vehicular connection. For vehicular connection, the

Action Plan recommends both an internal District circulatorand a new streetcar line on Washington Avenue.

Key Development Area B: Xavier/Gert Town

Linear park.

C a r r

o l l t o n A v e

Edinburgh St

PKGacad

ACAD

ACAD ACAD

A CA DA CA D

A CA D

A CA DA CA D

PKG PKG

PKG

NURS

UNIV

A CA D

UNIV

UNIV

UNIVUNIVUNIV

REC

RET

RET

SCH

Ea r ha r t B l v d

W ashington Ave

Ho ward A ve

P i n e S t

INDIND

IND

IND

IND

INDIND

IND

IND

RET

RETRET



15

Key Development Area C:

Tulane/Canal Street

This development area, like the Xavier/Gert TownArea, focuses on accommodating and integrating

academic growth into the existing urban fabric. Key

recommendations in this area include the transformation

of three blocks of Gravier Street into a pedestrian-

oriented spine (but still carrying vehicular traffic) with

adjacent public open space, and the renovation of two

existing buildings into a math and science magnet

school offering intern and enrichment opportunities with

the adjacent university. The Action Plan also strengthens

the area’s retail base and increases local access to

fresh food through the introduction of a City Market in arenovated car dealership building on the corner of Tulane

and Claiborne. This enterprise would offer farmers’

market type kiosks as well as ready-to-eat foodstuffs in

an indoor-outdoor format.

Zoning for the Tulane/Canal Street area is not anticipated

to pose a problem, although the large number of smaller

parcels may pose a complicated or extended landassembly process. Development should be coordinate

with plans for the renovation of the adjacent Iberville

public housing complex.

Key Development Area C: Tulane/Canal Street

T u l a n e A v e

Canal St

C l a i b o r n e A v e

E

l k P l a c e ( L o y o l a A v e )

Cleveland Ave

RES

RET

M.U.

M.U.

MATH/SCI

HS

M.U.

PKG

RES RES

RES

RES

RESRESRES

ACAD

ACAD

RES

A C A D

A C A D

hospital pkg

acad pkg hotel/conf

acad

pkg

historic res

historic ret / res




Key Development Area D:

Allied Health Campus

The Allied Health Campus will bring together theresources and opportunities of the City’s premier

educational institutions onto a shared, urban campus in

the heart of the BioDistrict. This clustered academic and

training campus is envisioned as an important workface

development resource, and will serve a critical role

in addressing the pressing need for a pool of skilled,

medically-oriented technicians and professionals to

support the BioDistrict’s expanding research and patient

care activities.

The Allied Health Campus will include a pool of shared

student and faculty resources such as dining, library,

meeting and classroom spaces, as well as daycare,recreation and a campus bookstore. The campus can

offer flexible satellite facilities or act as primary campus

expansion, based on the evolving needs of each

institution. The campus will be created through a mix

of new construction and renovation/reuse of existing

structures, most notably the now-vacant Charity Hospital

building.

The Action Plan expects near-term activity in this

development area through the construction of a new

Delgado Community College academic building, withfurther academic and support buildings coming on line

through a masterplanning and institutional-demand

process. The most challenging portion of the Allied Health

Campus is likely to be identifying an appropriate and

economically viable plan to renovate and reuse the Charity

Hospital building.

Key Development Area D: Allied Health Campus

C l a i b

o r n

e A

v e

Perdido St

Gravier St

Charity Hospital

Tulane Ave

Pkg

Pkg

Pkg

acad a c a d

acad

ACAD ACAD

ACAD

LIB / REC

PKG

L a S a l l e

S t

F r e r e t

acad

acad



17

Key Development Area E: Civic Centert

Key Development Area C:

Civic Center This development area focuses on increasing the

capacity and efficiency of the City’s governmental

functions, in tandem with creating a civic ‘front door’

and ‘living room’ for public gatherings. In order to

provide expansion room for itself and for City Hall,

the Civil Courts will move to a new, larger building

immediately adjacent to Duncan Plaza. City Hall will be

expanded in the direction of the plaza, with space for

new cultural or commercial buildings on either side of

it. The public library is also renovated to include a new,

formal entrance facing the plaza. At the heart of thenew civic district, Duncan Plaza is renovated to provide a

more flexible, special-event and public gathering space;

streets on either side of the plaza are also redesigned

to function as overflow space that can be closed to

vehicular traffic during special events.

Old-meets-new City Hall expansion, Denver. i m a g e : w i k i m e d i a . c o m

G r a v

i e r

S t

P e r d

i d o

S t

P o y

d r a

s S t

T u

l a n e

A v e

Loyola Ave

LaSalle St

Pkg

Ofc

acad

acad

CIVIC

ACAD

OFC

PKG

CIVIC CIVIC

OFC

Ofc

Ofc

Ofc




Roadways & Non-Vehicular Circulation

The Preferred Plan focuses on creating a ‘complete’

circulation network that more equitably balancesthe needs of pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders and

motorists. Roadways receiving the most visible

enhancements are Tulane Avenue, Claiborne Avenue

and the Broad Street bridge. The plan recommends

eliminations of gaps within the existing sidewalk

network, and that all sidewalks be brought to a

minimum width of four feet, with ADA-compliant ramps.

The plan also enhances bicycle connectivity, with a

goal of creating a gridded bicycle network spaced at a

maximum of ½ mile between on- or off-street paths.

Aligning with Regional Planning Commission goals,

Tulane Avenue will be upgraded as a ‘Smart Street’,

with below-grade utilities and above-grade traffic control

enabled for remote monitoring and adjustment. Above-

grade, improvements will feature wider sidewalks,

on-street bike lanes, street tree plantings and planted

medians. These softening streetscape features,

in particular, will contribute to social sustainability

through an enhanced pedestrian scale and environmental

sustainability through their air quality and ambient

temperature benefits.

Claiborne Avenue will be reconstructed to more closely

resemble the cross-section used south of the BioDistrict,

with a center median and enhanced back-of-curb

pedestrian zone. I-10 will be eliminated through this

section, with local and regional traffic using four travel

lanes in each direction. Without elevated superstructure,

the I-10 on- and off-ramps at Tulane and Cleveland Avenues

can also be removed, making additional land available

for redevelopment. On-street bike lanes and a potential

median-running streetcar will enhance transit options.

The Broad Street bridge, with a narrow sidewalk on only

one side, will be made more pedestrian- and bike-friendly

by reallocation of travel space within its current horizontal

footprint. The center median will be eliminated and the

travel lanes narrowed in order to provide ‘extra’ space to

construct a raised, multi-use pathway on both sides of the

bridge.

Vehicular Circulation



19

Transit Network

Bicycle & Pedestrian Circulation



Galvez Xavier/Gert Tulane/Canal AlliedHealth CivicCenter

Hospital 323,000 323000

Academic 2,001,500 477,000 641000 60,000 3179500

Residential 1057 115 550 1721

Retail 174,600 164,500 175,400 15,000 529,500RDOfficeLab 893,500 893,500

Office 688,500 464,000 1,152,500

RDSport 127,500 127,500

Civic 392500 392,500

SFnewdevelopment 1,195,600 2,854,500 1,439,400 641,000 467,500 6,598,000

dwellingunits 1057 115 550 0 0 1721

DevelopmentAreasUse Totals

BioDistrictDevelopment


Summary:

The table below aggregated 5-, 10- and 20-year numbers for each key development area, and for the BioDistrict as a

whole, represented as square feet.

Plan Summary



21

Working Paper VIII

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