Purchase of Lafitte Corridor Land Is Last Piece in Plans for Greenway

The city of New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced The city's purchase of 16.5 acres along the Lafitte Corridor in Mid-City, New Orleans will allow development of a 3.1-mile linear park called Lafitte Greenway.

On June 8, 2010, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced the city has acquired a 16.5 acre parcel of land along the Lafitte Corridor in Mid-City, formerly the site of the Louisiana Institute of Film Technology (LIFT) Studio.

The city sought the land for use in the development of the proposed Lafitte Greenway, a 3.1-mile linear park extending from Armstrong Park near the French Quarter to Canal Boulevard near City Park. The purchase marks the last land acquisition required for the Lafitte Greenway project.

''We're taking an abandoned railroad corridor and creating green space that our entire community can enjoy,'' explained Mayor Landrieu.

Lafitte Greenway will be a corridor of connecting parks, bike trails and open public spaces. The land for the Greenway is trail-like for most of its length. The LIFT property is the largest contiguous piece of property within the project, which will allow for active recreational facilities. Funding for the $3.8 million purchase of the property came from a Community Development Block Grant.

''The acquisition of this property on behalf of the public is the most significant step forward to date in seeing this project to fruition,'' said Bar Everson, President of the citizen-based advocacy group Friends of Lafitte Corridor (FOLC).

''We appreciate the support of the Landrieu Administration and look forward to working with the City to make the Greenway a reality.''

The LIFT site was originally part of the Carondelet Canal, built in 1793 by the Spanish to supply commercial goods to the French Quarter. The city and the Alabama Great Southern Railroad Company owned the property, but both entities sold their holdings to the Film Factory in 2006 to spur construction of the LIFT Studio. The Trust for Public Land, a national non-profit organization that assists government entities with the acquisition of land for conservation and public green space purposes, bought the property from the mortgage holder, Trustworthy Real Estate, who acquired the property at auction after a two-year bankruptcy and foreclosure period in 2009.

District B Councilmember Stacy Head sees the Greenway as an economic boost and long-term investment in the health and well being of New Orleans. The proposed Building Block Center in Mid City would bring additional office, retail, manufacturing and warehouse space.

When complete, the Lafitte Greenway will be a continuous public open space for nonmotorized transportation and recreation, joining together key segments of the city's growing pedestrian and bikeway network. The Greenway will also be a link to existing parks, playgrounds, recreational facilities and community centers.