Field of Dreams
Earlier this week, The Miracle League Northshore broke ground on its new playing field and facility located at Coquille Parks and Recreation in Covington, Louisiana!
The Miracle League works with mentally and physically disabled children so they can participate in everyday sports. The Northshore division was founded in 2014 to bring The Miracle League to serve the children of St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington Parishes. Coquille Parks and Recreation donated the land, and after a years-long fundraising campaign, the group is finally ready to start construction of the field.
[wpvideo 55HcnFMe]Currently, the children play on a natural-grass field, but the dirt and grass design of a baseball or soccer field found in a typical youth sports program can be challenging and unsafe to maneuver from a wheelchair or with crutches used by many Miracle League participants.
The new Miracle Field will be a specially constructed surface that uses a cushioned, synthetic turf to accommodate wheelchairs and other walking-assistance devices that, along with appropriate support facilities, is designed specifically for use by children with disabilities.
Gina Lorio, Miracle League’s Executive Director, and Griffin Lennox, Stirling Properties’ Investment Sales Analyst
Stirling Properties selected The Miracle League as the beneficiary of our annual Stirling Olympics fundraiser last year. We were able to raise $28,000 to help fund the new playing field and provide local children with access to a safe playing environment! Stirling Properties’ Investment Sales Analyst, Griffin Lennox, is also an active volunteer with The Miracle League and serves as a “buddy” for participating children to help encourage learning and fun in sports.
The mission of Miracle League of Greater New Orleans and The Miracle League North Shore is to promote the health and well-being of children with disabilities, provide opportunities for non-disabled children to learn about and interact with children with disabilities, and develop community awareness and support for the child athlete with disabilities through organized sports leagues. The vision of the program is to provide any disabled child, regardless of their level of disability, the opportunity to play league games and enjoy the emotional and physical benefits of being part of a team.
#StirlingProud
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.
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.
Debunking E-Commerce Myths
We’ve recently heard of fake news stories, hoaxes, and fabricated plots that have permeated headlines lately—and, unfortunately, the negative consequences that some have caused.
One such fictitious headline that’s running rampant is “the death of the shopping mall” and countless more tales of online sales putting brick-and-mortar stores out of business. But the reality is that the in-store vs. online struggle is not quite the battle that you probably think it is. In fact, physical stores continue to dominate retail sales.
So with the proliferation of fake news stories, here are a few facts to debunk these e-commerce myths and demonstrate the strength of the shopping center industry.
In-store retail sales accounts for $4.2 trillion or 90.7% of the market. A common perception is that online giants, such as Amazon, dwarf brick-and-mortar competition, but the reality is that Amazon is still a small percentage of the overall market. Online-only retailers represent merely about 3.5% of all U.S. retail sales.
Research also shows that 78% of consumers prefer to shop in-store, and spend significantly more per month in a physical store than online. We’re also seeing that omni-channel retailing is actually an enhancement to brick-and-mortar stores. E-commerce and other technological advances are improving the brick-and-mortar shopping experience and boosting sales at physical stores. 93.4% of all retail sales owe all or part of sales to a brick-and-mortar presence.
These are all encouraging statistics that confirm the shopping center industry is thriving, and the rise of technology and e-commerce is not going to change that. But we do need to change our thought process. Industry professionals and supporters need to advocate for our shopping centers and educate the consumer. According to one of my industry colleagues, “The consumer needs to be told that bricks and mortar is here to stay because if you keep telling the consumer it’s dead, the consumer will think it’s dead and start shopping online.”
Our friends at ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) have recently drafted several editorial pieces that have appeared in national news publications such as The Wall Street Journal. We are grateful for the leadership of Tom McGee and his team to help this business create our own sources of credible information, and to educate consumers on how vital the shopping center industry is, to both them and our entire country. Read the full articles “A Talk With Tom McGee” and “E-Commerce and Physical Stores Are Friends with a Common Purpose.”
-Marty
‘Tis the Season For Giving
For the 5th year, Stirling Properties has participated in the Volunteers of America Christmas Wish project. Employees and agents donated Christmas gifts, food baskets and other essential items to local families across our Gulf South region.
Volunteers of America helps more than 2 million people every year in over 400 communities. The annual Christmas Wish Project helps bring joy and holiday cheer to families and individuals who might not have a Christmas at all. Through Volunteers of America, participating families submit three “wish list” gift items for each individual. Stirling Properties and employees were able to fill every single wish! In all, close to 30 families and more than 49 children, adults and seniors received Christmas gifts. Additionally, each family received a food basket with tasty treats for the holiday season.
Stirling Properties’ Stewardship Committee organized the company-wide event by partnering with Volunteers of America in Greater New Orleans, Greater Baton Rouge, Northwest Louisiana and the Southeast to serve the New Orleans Northshore and Southshore, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport-Bossier City and Mobile communities.
In addition to donating to the Christmas Wish Project, Stirling Properties hosted the second annual Northpark Christmas Bazaar, Bake Sale and Raffle on Friday, November 18th. Local vendors, as well as employees of the Northpark office complex sold crafts, jewelry, ornaments, books, beauty products and many other great gift items.
The Bake Sale and Raffle raised nearly $2,000, which was donated in full to Volunteers of America’s Greater New Orleans’ Christmas Family Program!
Participating in this project is always a great reminder of the true spirit of the Holiday Season – giving and generosity. Stirling Properties is committed to supporting the communities where we live and work, and we will continue to support local nonprofits, community groups and charitable organizations throughout the year and beyond.
Thank you to all of the vendors, donors and shoppers who made this project a huge success. You are all on Santa’s nice list! We hope to see you next year.
For more information about Stirling’s Stewardship Committee, please visit our website or contact us by email at stewardship@stirlingprop.com.
