GNO, Inc. awarded the Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development by Site Selection Magazine
Site Selection Magazine awarded Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) the Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development. The Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development recognizes the top economic development agencies of the previous year in both metropolitan and micropolitan areas. The criteria used to select the recipients includes the total number of jobs created and the total amount invested as well as per capita investment and jobs created in the region. Site Selection also looks at unique ways economic development organizations are addressing critical issues in their communities.
A few of GNO, Inc. and the Greater New Orleans area successes:
- $4 billion in capital investments in 2015
- 1,988 new jobs created in 2015
- Knowledge industry jobs grew 37% in 2015
Congratulations to GNO Inc. for this prestigious and well- deserved honor! This award is yet another testament to the level of economic development, job creation and investment occurring in our 10-parish region.
GNO, Inc. was recognized along with 10 other groups in the nation. To see all the EDOs recognized, please read Site Selection’s article.
Coastal Revenue Sharing: A Letter to the Editor
As chairman of the Coalition for Coastal Resilience and Economy (CCRE), which was formed last year under the umbrella of Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO Inc.), our primary mission is to use our business led coalition to ensure that the funds earmarked for coastal restoration are used for that intended purpose. While there are many other very critical needs of the state including infrastructure, none represents the existential threat of coastal restoration.
Please click here to read letter to the editor from our CCRE group.
Coalition for Coastal Resilience and Economy (CCRE): Ecosystem Restoration Is Economic Development
As Chairman of the Coalition for Coastal Resilience and Economy (CCRE), I wanted to take a moment to introduce the coalition and give an update about the traction we’ve made in our first year. Launched in July 2014 by the economic development organization Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.), CCRE is a business-led coalition tasked with creating an educated, informed voice of advocacy for sustainable restoration efforts in Louisiana’s wetlands, rivers, deltas, and coastline. It is made up of non-partisan, Southeastern Louisiana business leaders that believe investing in smart restoration today will ensure continuing economic opportunities in the future. CCRE will advocate for policies that promote, protect and drive resources to Louisiana’s coast.
RESTORE Act Meeting – August 2014
In the last year, CCRE members and I have participated in several unique coastal experiences, including seaplane and boat tours of Louisiana’s coastline, designed to increase awareness of the needs, opportunities and plans for coastal protection and restoration. We’ve met with government officials, including U.S. Congressman Steve Scalise, to collaborate and discuss the most effective ways to utilize RESTORE Act funds to revive and protect Louisiana’s wetlands and coastline. As we approach the Katrina Anniversary, coastal restoration and resilience is bound to be a part of the media coverage about the region’s recovery over the last ten years. In fact, there was a terrific piece in the New York Times recently “How to Save a Sinking Coast: Katrina Created a Laboratory.” To ensure that the narrative around coastal issues is appropriately framed—furthering the region’s position as an international leader in resiliency and restoration—GNO, Inc., on behalf of the CCRE, is reaching proactively to media via coastal overflights, interviews and panel briefings. Also, GNO, Inc. Chairman Michael Hecht and I penned a Letter to the Editor and submitted it to the New York Times, providing additional context to the recent John Barry story, “Is New Orleans Safe?” Restoring the wetlands along the Gulf of Mexico coastline is arguably the region’s most pressing environmental and economic issue. With the coming influx of funding from the RESTORE Act and other oil spill-related settlements, CCRE has a unique opportunity to ensure the continued prosperity and sustainability of Southeast Louisiana. Now is the perfect time to implement smart, long-lasting solutions to improve the coastline, communities and economy. I am excited about the role the business community will play in this effort.
New Orleans: A City of Possibility
A recent email from Michael Hecht, CEO of GNO Inc., highlighted another positive ranking for New Orleans. The city was named as one of the Top 20 “Cities of Possibility” in the World in Good magazine’s new “Good City Index”. To create this list of global “cities they are betting on,” the magazine looked at a combination of factors:
- “Hub for Progress”
- Civic Engagement
- Transportation
- “Local Vibes”
- Green Space
- Diversity
- Signature Movements
- Work/Life Balance
Driven by “a spirit of self-determination that has been a powerful driving force over the past eight years,” New Orleans shares the global recognition with:
- Mexico City
- Singapore
- Budapest
- Nairobi
- Seoul
- Johannesburg
- Istanbul
- Beirut
- Rio De Janeiro
- Buenos Aires
- Montreal
- Paris
- Perth
- Tel Aviv
- Santiago
- Kuala Lumpur
- Accra
- Atlanta
- Wellington (NZ)
Certainly, this is an impressive list of global cities to be ranked amongst. It is yet another testament to how far we have come. While much work remains, it is truly an exciting time to be a part of the NEW New Orleans.
Southeast Super-Region Committee awarded gold medal by IEDC
Just a few short years ago, I was interviewed by a reporter for an article focusing on the extreme divisiveness, dislike and disdain between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. At that time, I even wrote an opinion column, The Feud is Fading, pointing out the futility in this situation and how it was preventing our region from competing nationally and globally.
It was from those roots that discussions began among a small group who had business interests which cross parish lines, from New Orleans and Baton Rouge, to form the Southeast Super- Region Committee. So today it is truly exciting and gratifying to have the Super-Region Committee being recognized for an award for cross collaboration by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).
To me, this represents hope for the continued future success of our region.
Click here to see the article released by Greater New Orleans, Inc.
New Orleans’ Growing Medical Corridor
The growing medical corridor in New Orleans is officially known as BioDistrict New Orleans, a state-enabled economic development district that was created by the State of Louisiana in 2005 for the purpose of developing a biosciences industry in New Orleans that will provide research and development, healthcare delivery, and stable, high-paying jobs. The 1,500-acre district spans the Downtown and Mid-City neighborhoods of New Orleans. The economic impact is estimated to be 22,000 new jobs in the city of New Orleans over the next eight to ten years, not only in biosciences, but also in banking, law, construction and other service industries that stand to benefit. The area’s major developments include:
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Project Legacy)
- Status: Under Construction
- Groundbreaking/Completion: June 2011/Late 2014, full activation 2015
- Site: 30 acres bounded by Tulane Avenue and Canal, S. Galvez & S. Rocheblave Streets
- Size: 1.6 million square feet with 2 additional 1,000-car garages; 200-bed complex will serve over 70,000 enrolled Veterans
- Cost: $995 million construction budget (fully funded)
- Jobs: 1,100 new employees
- University Medical Center
- Status: Site preparation work, construction to begin by year end
- Groundbreaking/Completion: April 2011/2015
- Site: 34 acres bounded by Canal & S. Galvez Streets and Tuland & South Claiborne Avenues
- Size: 2.2 million square feet, 424-bed public hospital to replace Charity Hospital
- Cost: $1.09 billion; state lawmakers approved funding September 2011
- Jobs: 5,280 new and saved jobs over first five years
- Part of collaborative complex with the new VA Medical Center (see above)
- Both will be key academic anchors for LSU, Tulane, Dillard, Xavier, SUNO, Delgado, and others throughout South Louisiana
- Louisiana Cancer Research Center
- Status: Under Construction
- Groundbreaking/Completion: April 2009/January 2012
- Site: Tulane & South Claiborne Avenues
- Size: Shared 175,000 square-foot, 10-story facility
- Cost: $90 million
- Developed by the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium, a partnership among LSU Health Sciences Center, Tulane Univerity, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Ochsner Health System
- New Orleans BioInnovation Center
- Status: Open & Operating
- Completed: June 2011
- Site: 1441 Canal Street
- Size: 66,000 square feet of state-of-the-art wet-lab, office and conference space
- Cost: $47 million
- To house biotech and life sciences entrepreneurs and startups, as well as support research at four area universities; housing about 200 employees from 80 companies at full capacity
- Critical link that turns university research into privately commercializable enterprises
- Five biotech start-ups and two venture captial firms have already moved into the building, and twelve more are on the way
- Ochsner Health System
- Relocating 500 to 750 employees to the CBD during the 1st Quarter 2012
- Moving executive, corporate and business functions (no medical care)
- 80,000 square feet on top 4 floors of the Benson Tower (enough room to grow to 1,000 employees)
- Signifies Ochsner’s growing presence in the local economy and New Orleans’ medical hub
For exciting leasing opportunities in the heart of this growing medical corridor, office spaces are available at the 1615 Poydras Street office building located directly across from the Superdome. Available spaces range from approximately 1,500 to 45,130 contiguous square feet. For more information contact Gaines Seaman at (504) 620-8187 or gseaman@stirlingprop.com.
