The Algiers Economic Development Foundation (AEDF) today announced its schedule for the fourth annual Wednesdays on the Point Summer Riverfront Concert Series.  The 8-week series will take place every Wednesday beginning June 22 and running through August 10.  Concerts will be held at the foot of the ferry terminal in historic Algiers Point and begin at 6pm and end at 9pm.

“This is just another way that AEDF fulfills its mission of presenting Algiers in a positive light, providing an economic impact on our community and at the same time providing a place for families and friends to gather and enjoy the summer together,” said AEDF President Chris Kane. Wednesdays on the Point began three years ago as an effort by local businesses to draw visitors to Algiers Point during the slower summer months.  Since its inception, the series has continued to grow and is expected to draw more than one thousand music goers each week.  This year’s lineup is a great mix of musical styles and genres including acts such as Amanda Shaw, Luther Kent, Otra Latin Band and The Wild Magnolias Mardi Gras Indians.

The highlight of the series is the special Fourth of July concert featuring live performances from Bonerama, The Stooges Brass Band and Lil Red and Big Bad.  “We’re certainly excited about the Fourth of July,” said Barbara Waiters, AEDF’s Executive Director.  “Good music, great food and a fireworks show that will definitely light up the summer sky.” All concerts are free to the public and along with a great musical performance; guests will be able to enjoy food and beverages from local vendors and other activities for the family.

For more information about AEDF’s Wednesdays on the Point, please contact Bethany Lemanski at (504) 339-2899 or visit us on the web at www.WednesdaysOnThePoint.com.

Founded in 1719, Algiers Point is one of the oldest neighborhoods in New Orleans. “The Point” as locals call it, is located directly across the Mississippi River from the French Quarter. Ferry’s run every fifteen minutes between Algiers Point and Downtown New Orleans.
Algiers Economic Development Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing economic development to Algiers. The mission of AEDF is to help the Algiers community grow and prosper by being a catalyst for economic development that provides for a vibrant business environment.

2011 Wednesdays on the Point

Summer Concert Schedule

 All shows are from 6-9PM unless otherwise noted

Wednesday, June 22, 2011                                Glen David Andrews and Sasha Masakowski

Wednesday, June 29, 2011                                 Luther Kent and The Mumbles

Monday, July 4, 2011 (5-9PM)                            Bonerama, Stooges Brass Band and Lil Red & Big Bad
Wednesday, July 6, 2011                                     (No Show due to 4th of July show)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011 Wild Magnolias Mardi Gras Indians and Pinettes Brass Band

Wednesday, July 20, 2011                                  Flow Tribe & Higher Heights Reggae

Wednesday, July 27, 2011                                   Irvin Mayfield presents “Purple Disrespect” Funk Band and E.Company Band

Wednesday, August 3, 2011                               Latin Night with Otra Javier & Elegant Gypsy

Wednesday, August 10, 2011                              Amanda Shaw and Christian Serpas Ghost Town
Concerts will be held at the foot of the ferry terminal in historic Algiers Point.

Occupancy rates have hovered between 85 and 90 percent for warehouse space and about 80 percent for office space, said James Barse, associate broker with Latter and Blum on the West Bank. A year ago, warehouse space occupancy was between 90 and 95 percent, while office space occupancy was about 90 percent.

Despite the drop, brokers say they are optimistic about the state of the West Bank market. “It may be a little softer now, but the long-term prospects are good,” Barse said.

Still, the economy has forced some tenants to shorten their lease lengths. Whereas in the past tenants looked to renew leases for three, five or even seven years, they now renew on a one-year basis, said Vincent Vastola, director of real estate for the Marrero Land and Improvement Association.

“A few years ago you might have had calls on a regular basis for available spaces, and you would have had tenants anxiously and aggressively seeking renewals and extensions of their existing leases,” he said. “Now there seems to be few calls from new tenants, and there seems to be a good bit of hesitancy on the part of existing tenants to make a long-term commitment.”

Vacancies are popping up in areas where leasing was never a problem. And because demand is soft for the few vacancies that are on the market, renters have the upper hand, said Joe Maerke, vice president and broker for Jack Stumpf and Associates.

“It’s not uncommon for tenants to want rental concessions,” he said. “Some of the property owners we represent aren’t in a position to grant rental concessions at this time. It will be very interesting to see what happens in the near future, because there may be some pressure on the owners.”

This happens a lot in cases of retailers that might be losing business and need to get some kind of rent concession to keep the doors open. And for the landlord, that might mean losing a tenant.

Interest from investors is also low compared with interest from businesses and end users, which refers to businesses that actually fill the space as opposed to an investor that might buy the space and then rent it out to a business.

Of this year’s sale transactions through October for Jack Stumpf and Associates, 79 percent have been to end users, such as retailers and businesses occupying those spaces, Maerke said. Only 21 percent has been to investors – people willing to spend discretionary or investment income.

“We have always represented risk takers, people who are willing to buy properties with vacancies and either redo them or take the chances of finding a tenant where the old owner wouldn’t,” he said. “What has happened is commercial pricing on sales has not dropped … to where investors are willing to jump in. So until prices start to fall, I think it’s going to be a slow market.”

The West Bank saw a flurry of interest in industrial properties earlier this year after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, particularly from large providers who thought they could make inroads with cleanup work. Calls increased for warehouse space on Peters and Engineers roads, Maerke said.

“But that fell off fast,” he said. “And there’s really nothing that’s come back to replace it.”

Nonetheless, Barse foresees “very good” prices for buyers and tenants in the next year or so. “It’s just a little soft right now with the concern about Avondale and the oil and gas business,” he said. “And a lot of this depends on what happens with our national economy.”

http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2010/12/07/soft-west-bank-office-market-favors-tenants/

Courtesy of New Orleans CityBusiness.

New Orleans Film & Video Office Provides Key Support for Workforce Development

NEW ORLEANS, LA– The City of New Orleans Office of Film & Video, in conjunction with Second Line Stages and non-profit NOVAC (New Orleans Video Access Center), will present “Greening the Screen” an environmentally-focused training program and public seminar in New Orleans, October 27 – 28, 2010.

Big names in the entertainment industry will roll into town this month to talk to the local film community about producing creative work in a more environmentally sustainable way. Instructors and speakers will include producers from major film studios and experts in eco-friendly techniques, such as producers Mary Jo Winkler (Catch Me If You Can, The Shipping News) and Kathleen Courtney (Law Abiding Citizen, Meet Dave, Because of Winn Dixie). Also coming are Meredith Bermann and Katie Carpenter whose company Green Media Solutions has worked directly with NBC / Universal, among others, greening their productions over the past few years. Other speakers include Joshua Throne, Production Manager (The Expendables, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt) and Jane Evans, Head of Production for Focus Features.

The workforce training component of the series is being sponsored by the City of New Orleans Office of Film & Video, Community Production Capital, L.L.C. and the Louisiana Workforce Training Program.

Since 2008 there has been a comprehensive move toward environmentally responsible production practices in the entertainment industry on a national level. For example, five major studios have committed to environmental sustainability and created ‘best practices’ guidelines; and several existing studio buildings in Los Angeles are being converted to more eco-friendly structures. To the east and west coast ‘green’ is on its way to becoming the standard.

“A “Greening the Screen” training program for producers and filmmaking students will be held October 27 and 28. The program curriculum will be based in part on the GreenScreen Training of the Producers Guild of America and will provide an in-depth look, department by department, at what “green” looks like for the film production industry at this time and going forward. Registration is closed for this training.

A free evening seminar and panel discussion on October 28th, open to the public, will provide an opportunity for the members of the local industry and government to hear from leading professionals, both at the studio and production levels, about what it means to “Green the Screen’, why it’s important, what it entails, and what New Orleans/Louisiana crew, vendors and service providers should be thinking about. The seminar will be held at Second Line Stages, 800 Richard St. in New Orleans, October 28th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Reservations are required for the seminar; call 504-224-2245 or e-mail boseka@secondlinestages.com to RSVP.

Additionally, the City supported efforts in which producers for the HBO television series Treme partnered in the effort as a way to train new hires. Trainees referred by Treme participated in the environmental training this weekend following a one-day production assistant class and business networking event.

New Orleans has hosted 35 total feature film and television tax credit projects in 2010 with an economic impact of approximately $308 million for the Greater New Orleans region.  At least 120 total small, non- tax credit projects have been commissioned in 2010.

You can find additional information online at www.filmneworleans.org .

 Ground was broken Thursday for the next phase of the project.

The center will provide 1,100 parking spaces and space for 15 retail businesses in support of the 1,900 Marines and civilian employees who will work at the Marine Corps Support Facility, New Orleans, beginning in June.

 It also is among facilities that will sprout up during the next year as developers re-create the century-old Naval Support Activity. Construction is scheduled to begin soon on a 400-seat auditorium at the site.

“This is really going to be a busy place with construction in the near future,” said retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David Mize, who is helping spearhead the project.

The 2.3-acre site is outside the compound the Marine Corps will occupy, meaning the garage and businesses will be accessible to the general public once the developers take control of the naval installation. The Navy Federal Credit Union will occupy space at the retail center, which has three units reserved for restaurants, Mize said.

The state has provided $150 million to the federal city project, the bulk of which is being used to build a 411,000-square-foot headquarters for Marine Forces Reserve and its subordinate commands.

That pool of money, controlled by the state Department of Economic Development, also will be used to build the garage and retail center, which is expected to be complete in 9 1/2 months, officials said. Mize said agreements with the Navy to redevelop the base require that parking is provided.

Ground was broken Thursday for the next phase of Federal City, which will feature retail space and parking and will be built in the space across the road, center. The century-old building at left will be preserved.

Woodward Design+Build, the New Orleans contractor on the Marine Corps headquarters project, is building the garage and retail center.

By federal law, the Marines, who currently are based at the Naval Support Activity in Bywater, must move to Algiers by Sept. 15, 2011. Federal city developers say that should happen by June. Officials said Thursday the headquarters is 70 percent complete.

The building’s exterior walls are designed to withstand 150 mph winds, and the facility can operate under generator power for seven days if electrical service is interrupted during an emergency, said Col. Bill Davis, assistant chief of staff for facilities at Marine Forces Reserve.

The Navy and Defense Department recommended five years ago that the Naval Support Activity be closed, but a federal commission overruled them the week before Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005, allowing the state and city to create a campus for federal entities. The Marine Corps is considered the anchor tenant, but developers have not lured other major tenants to the site.

The concept could be used at the Northrup Grumman shipyard in Avondale and NASA’s Michoud facility in eastern New Orleans, to soften the blow of lost jobs, said U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who was involved the federal city plan.

“This is exactly the sort of model we need to use and replicate with regard to those challenges,” said Vitter, who was among elected officials who attended a ground-breaking ceremony at the federal city site Thursday.

Courtesy of the Times Picayune

In times of crisis, business, government and nonprofit leaders must be ready to work together to direct an appropriate response. You will be called upon to keep your organization running and to keep people in your community safe. Will you be ready? As a participant in the Southeast Louisiana Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness you will: learn critical leadership skills from Harvard University faculty that will help you protect your business and community in a crisis; Connect with 150 Southeast Louisiana leaders from business, government and nonprofit organizations; Collaborate with other meta-leaders to address community preparedness challenges by identifying partnerships that can be leveraged before, during and after a crisis

Hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CDC Foundation and Harvard, the Southeast Louisiana Meta-Leadership Summit will take place on Wednesday, June 3, 2010.

There is no cost to attend the Summit. Capacity is limited.Register at http://www.metaleadershipsummit.org/Summits/upcoming/louisiana.aspx

If you have questions about the Summit or the registration process, please call (404) 523-1788 or e-mail summit@cdcfoundation.org 

Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2010.

Time: Continental Breakfast 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Summit 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Location:

Marriott New Orleans at the Convention Center

859 Convention Center Boulevard

New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

504-613-2860

Website:
To learn more, visit www.meta-leadershipsummit.org

This event will feature traditional jazz, including a guest performance by New Orleans’ own Allen Toussaint, an unveiling of the official 2010 Riverfest™ poster by renowned artist Margaret Slade Kelley and the introduction of a signature cocktail in partnership with our friends at Old New Orleans Rum. As in the past, the Silent Auction is a highlight of the affair; with proceeds benefiting RiverFest™, an all volunteer effort, and its year-round educational programming, focusing on New Orleans’ music, arts and culture.

RiverFest™ would be delighted to include your business as a supporter of this worthwhile event through your generous donation of a Silent Auction item.

Silent Auction Items will be prominently displayed and listed in the Preview Party program. This is a wonderful opportunity to expose your business to prominent individuals from throughout metropolitan New Orleans.

Click here for a Silent Auction Donation Form.

If you buy original works of art within a designated cultural district, you don’t have to pay state or local tax. That can mean a savings of up to 9 percent of the purchase price, depending on the parish in which the purchase is made.
The lieutenant governor’s office defines eligible works of art as “original, one-of-kind, visual art; conceived and made by hand of the artist or under his direction; and not intended for mass production, except for limited editions.”

Examples include “visual arts and crafts, ” ceramics, wood, glass, mixed media, wearable art, and “limited, numbered editions (up to 100) of lithographs.” Ineligible products include performing art, reproductions of visual art, food and live plants.

And if you renovate an old building within such a district, you may be eligible for state tax credits. The rules vary depending on whether the building is rental property, an owner occupied residence or a commercial property.
Assuming the structure is more than 50 years old, and that the renovation maintains the historic character of the building, property owners could be eligible for up to $25,000 in credits.

Today 2009 is a new day. Thomas Travel & Cruise is back and growing as a one stop, complete agency. If you want to take a cooking class in France, bake pizza in Italy, cruise the Med on a yacht, take a relaxing cruise or cruise the world –whatever the desire, Thomas Travel & Cruise we can assist with making your dream a reality. 

Contact Thomas Travel & Cruise at 504-398-0056 or 800-344-6298.  Algiers Economic Development Foundation and the Westbank welcomes Darlene & Reggie Thomas, small business owners, back to Gen. DeGaulle.

The  New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and New Orleans Emergency Medical Services have issued the following guidelines regarding the Influenza.