The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) Board of Commissioners has decided to adopt a new Port NOLA Inner Harbor Economic Revitalisation Plan (PIER Plan). The port authorities officially announced that the collaborative vision plan has been undertaken to revitalise the Inner Harbor Industrial corridor, to increase commercial activity and create jobs for area residents.
The PIER Plan is a planning project with the City of New Orleans that aims to focus on the future development of the Port’s Inner Harbor. It was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2018, the Port NOLA Strategic Master Plan spread out a vision for the next 20 years and a roadmap for growth that identified a need for regional freight-based economic development. The PIER Plan encompasses community needs and capacity into a vision for future development that benefits the entire region.
Brandy D. Christian, President, and CEO, Port of New Orleans and CEO, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad said in a recent press statement that Port NOLA serves as an economic catalyst together with and helps to drive global trade and local prosperity. He informed that the PIER Plan and its focus on the Inner Harbor will guide the port’s short, medium, and long-term goals towards prosperity. He said that the authorities are aware that revitalization and future development cannot be done in a vacuum, and hence they were gratified to engage and work with a diverse range of stakeholders in the process.
Rebecca Otte, Statewide Brownfield Coordinator, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality added that LDEQ’s Brownfields Program has enjoyed working with Port NOLA and their partners on the development of the PIER Plan. She mentioned that the company hopes that the plan will support the Port’s efforts to revitalize the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal corridor, redevelop vacant and underutilized properties and attract businesses that will provide living-wage jobs for the community.
Adam Tatar, Brownfields Coordinator, the Regional Planning Commission further added that RPC supports the Port of New Orleans’ planning efforts. He informed that the PIER Plan was drafted with extensive stakeholder involvement and technical expertise, and it will help to guide the use of EPA funds under the joint Brownfield Assessment Grant.
