Forward New Orleans Coalition Releases Final Municipal Progress Report
Forward New Orleans (FNO) is a broad coalition of 25 civic, neighborhood, and business organizations. The group is tasked with creating an issues-based platform designed to educate voters and engage candidates for mayor and city council in seeking to identify and implement best practices that will improve opportunities and the quality of life for the people of New Orleans.
The coalition secured dozens of pledges from Mayor Mitch Landrieu and New Orleans City Council members more than three years ago around a long list of important goals for the city’s civic life. This week, it issued a scorecard showing that city officials have lived up to more than half of their promises and are making progress on most of the rest. Of the 102 objectives listed for the candidates in 2014, the winners have fully met or are deemed highly likely to meet 54. Another 44 are in the works, while four were listed as unfulfilled.
The final report measures performance and progress in 11 different categories, including criminal justice and law enforcement, city finance, blight removal, economic development, and infrastructure. It highlights successes, such as NOPD’s use of advanced technology to help increase public safety and officer efficiency, teamwork between the Department of Public Works and Sewerage and Water Board to track a $2.4 billion infrastructure improvement plan through the interactive roadwork.nola.gov website, and renewed focus on economic opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses. But the coalition is also clear in its call for additional progress toward curbing violent crime, coordinating criminal justice agency resources, and implementing civil service reforms.
Click here to view an interview with FNO representatives on WWL-TV.
“Clearly, overall progress has been made, and a solid foundation has been laid on many fronts,” said Gregory Rusovich, Past Chair of the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region and a Forward New Orleans coalition representative. “This progress is the result of a resilient and tenacious citizenry partnering with committed and dedicated political leadership.”
The report issued this week marks the group’s final scorecard for the current political cycle, as New Orleanians will be choosing a new mayor and council in October. Forward New Orleans will create a new agenda for the next four years. Stirling Properties’ President & CEO, Marty Mayer, will be participating on the task force to compile the new plan.
Forward New Orleans coalition members include Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region, Regional Black Chamber of Commerce, Broadmoor Civic Association, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Urban League of Louisiana, New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation, GNO, Inc. and the Young Leadership Council, among others.
Stirling Properties hires Amanda Goldman as Sales and Leasing Executive
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is pleased to announce Amanda Goldman as Sales and Leasing Executive for its Commercial Brokerage Division in Alabama. Goldman will work from the company’s Mobile office located at One St. Louis Centre, 1 St. Louis Street, Suite 4100.
Goldman has been active in real estate in Alabama for five years. She is a candidate for the designation of Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM).
Following 11 years of service in the United States Air Force, Goldman has spent more than 30 years in sales, developing an expertise in working with both national and local businesses and providing quality service.
Current affiliations include membership in the CCIM, as well as the Alabama Chapter of CCIM, and the National Association of Realtors (NAR). A native of Manhattan, New York, Amanda currently resides in Daphne, Alabama, and has three grown daughters.
Amanda Goldman can be reached at (251) 375-2490 or agoldman@stirlingprop.com.
Stirling Properties is located at One St. Louis Centre, 1 St. Louis Street, Suite 4100 in Mobile, Alabama. For more information regarding our services, please visit us at stirlingprop.com.
Stirling Properties Announces New Tenants At Fern Marketplace in Shreveport
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is pleased to announce new tenants at Fern Marketplace in Shreveport, Louisiana.
- At Home, the home décor superstore, has purchased 8.16 acres of land to build a 108,931-square-foot retail store. Construction is scheduled to commence by the end of the month with plans to open in the 4th quarter of 2017.
- La Madeleine Country French Café has purchased a 1.18-acre tract of land to develop a 7,500-square-foot free-standing restaurant location. Plans are to open in the fall of 2017.
Stirling Properties’ Senior Retail Leasing & Development Executive, Rhonda Sharkawy, was involved in both transactions on behalf of the Seller.
Previously announced tenant, The Halal Guys, is still on track to open in late March of this year, and Orangetheory Fitness plans to open in early April.
Fern Marketplace is a 14-acre retail development anchored by Whole Foods Market, consisting of roughly 200,000 square feet. The shopping center is located at the northeast corner of East 70th Street and Fern Avenue, near the intersection of Youree Drive. Tenants include At Home (opening 4Q 2017), Grub Burger, La Madeleine (opening Fall 2017), Lee Nails, Orangetheory Fitness (opening April 2017), The Halal Guys (opening March 2017), and Whole Foods Market. Most of these retailers committed to Fern Marketplace are either first-time locations within Shreveport or Louisiana, or both. At completion, Fern Marketplace is expected to be a premier regional shopping and entertainment destination, as well as a vital economic contributor to the area. Stirling Properties handles management and leasing for the Center.
For more information, please visit stirlingprop.com.
For leasing or sales information, contact Rhonda Sharkawy at (504) 620-8145 or rsharkawy@stirlingprop.com. For asset management information, contact Donna Taylor at (985) 898-2022 or dtaylor@stirlingprop.com.
Helping To Grow The Lafitte Greenway!
Stirling Properties’ Charles Barclay Is a Champion for New Orleans’s Newest Green Space
Mookie Square
The Lafitte Greenway is a 2.6-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail and green corridor that connects neighborhoods from Armstrong Park to City Park in New Orleans. The $9.1 million project broke ground in early 2014 and opened in November of 2015. The Lafitte Greenway significantly transformed one of the most historic areas of New Orleans into a multi-use transportation corridor and linear park.
The Greenway includes a 12-foot asphalt path for cyclists and pedestrians, new recreation fields, green space, and landscaping improvements including approximately 500 shade trees, native plant meadows, bioswales and stormwater retention features. The path is fully lit with LED energy-efficient trail lighting and includes curb extensions, signalized high visibility crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps at sidewalk corners, environmental remediation, a crushed stone walking path, and a bicycle and pedestrian roundabout. Many new retail, restaurant, and entertainment options are also popping up along the Lafitte Corridor.
The Lafitte Greenway runs alongside Mid-City Market, one of Stirling Properties’ premier developments in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans. The center was designed to incorporate extensive pedestrian features and to complement the adjacent Greenway, melding the retail center to the culturally rich urban neighborhood. Stirling Properties has remained a proud and active supporter of the Greenway ever since!
Charles Barclay, Stirling Properties Asset Manager, is currently a member of the Executive Board of Friends of Lafitte Greenway, whose mission seeks to revitalize the Lafitte Corridor. Friends of Lafitte Greenway has been the driving engine behind the construction of the bicycle and pedestrian trail, stretching from the edge of the French Quarter to Bayou St. John. “I have become a real champion of the Greenway and think it’s an excellent addition to the city, as it is beneficial to everyone that lives, works, and plays in the area,” said Barclay.
Photo by GeorgeLong.com
Now that the bike path is complete, Friends of Lafitte Greenway plans to launch several new initiatives and projects throughout the Greenway that will include art installations, healthy living events, guided tours, community gardens, and much more. The organization and its members are working diligently to build, program, and promote the linear park as a great public space.
According to the UNO Transportation Institute, in 2016, the Greenway’s first full year open, an average of 746 people per day used the Greenway in the Jefferson Davis section alone. While this is an impressive number of visitors, there are still so many in the surrounding areas and neighborhoods who do not know of the Lafitte Greenway. “We invite everyone to come out and explore the Greenway and all the events and activities it has to offer. We have everything from yoga to youth educational programs, not to mention the beautiful green space. You can also get involved through various volunteer opportunities,” said Barclay.
Friends of Lafitte Greenway is hosting a FREE, family-friendly event, Hike The Lafitte Greenway, on Saturday, March 25th from 9:30am-2:00pm. The public is invited to participate in a 3-mile guided hike (complete with live music and block party) to learn more about the Greenway. We hope to see you there!
New Orleans is returning to the global stage
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending GNO, Inc.’s annual meeting appropriately themed “GNO Global.” The event focused on the reflection of New Orleans’s “global past, present progress, and world-class future.”
New Orleans was once the most diverse city in the country—the largest in the South—and served as a premier export metropolis. But during the course of history, we have become eclipsed by other major cities competing for the global spotlight. GNO, Inc. illustrates how the Crescent City is triumphing and coming back brighter than ever as a true global leader.
As we approach the 300th anniversary of the City of New Orleans, there is much to be proud of. From new international flights to workforce development and tourism growth to public policy reform, our region has recently celebrated many significant accomplishments.
Stirling Properties is pleased to be a continued supporter of economic development in New Orleans and the entire Gulf South region. We look forward to many more successes in the years to come as New Orleans re-establishes itself as a major economic partner.
Check out this video with Professor Richard Campanella, Historical Geographer and Author from Tulane University, that showcases New Orleans’s unique global history:
To view the video in its entirety, please click here.
Marty Mayer
Past Chair Emeritus, GNO, Inc.
Stirling Properties Awarded Management Of PMAT’s 1,000,000 SF Retail Portfolio
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company has structured a new partnership with PMAT Real Estate Investments to manage the company’s growing portfolio of anchored shopping centers located across the Southeast, Sunbelt, Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest. This partnership will enable the complementary firms to create a scalable platform for the continued growth of both Stirling Properties and PMAT.
After disposing of approximately $200,000,000 of assets in the preceding years, the current PMAT portfolio consists of assets in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia as well as several centers in the acquisition pipeline and is well capitalized for continued growth in their target markets.
“Stirling Properties is thrilled to gain the property management contract for these centers—and to expand our portfolio and geographic footprint into new markets,” said Donna Taylor, SVP of Asset Management & New Business. “We look forward to working with PMAT Companies to enhance the asset performance and value. Our team of trusted experts is in motion working diligently to deliver optimum results for the property owners!”
“This partnership is a very good marriage for our two firms. Based in our own backyard, Stirling Properties is a trusted, best-in-class management company with significant operational expertise and an owner’s mindset,” said Kevin Kush, President of PMAT. “With Stirling Properties’ support network of talented professionals, PMAT will be able to focus on portfolio expansion and executing our value-add investment platform. After our recent dispositions and strategic partnerships, our platform is now more scalable and better capitalized for growth than ever before.”
PMAT was founded in 2003 by Robert Whelan, the former CFO of a NYSE REIT. Since that time, the company has invested in nearly 4 million square feet of anchored shopping centers with combined acquisition and disposition transaction value of over $1,000,000,000. These investments comprise an array of redevelopments of grocery-anchored centers including experience with such grocers as Publix, Kroger, Winn-Dixie, Lowes Foods, Food Lion (Delhaize), Giant (Ahold), Sweetbay, and Bravo as well as an array of national and regional tenants ranging from traditional soft goods tenants like Ross, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and Bealls to alternative users such as YouFit, Planet Fitness, Bargain Hunt, Paragon Theaters, Cinepolis, Jumpstreet, and Altitude Trampolines. For more information on PMAT, please contact Ben Bolz at Ben@pmat.net.
Stirling Properties currently manages more than 16 million square feet of property, with close to 114 million square feet of property and land for sale or lease.
For more information on Property Management/Asset Management, please contact Donna Taylor at dtaylor@stirlingprop.com or (985) 898-2022.
