New Orleans CityBusiness articles from March 2008

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from March 2008

N.O. builders hammering out surplus of new homes.
March 2, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen The inventory of unsold homes in the greater New Orleans region reached a record high in February with 8,806 single-family dwellings constituting a 14-month supply, according to the New Orleans Metropolitan...

Louisiana highway department receives $42M in bids.
March 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development considered bids totaling more than $42 million at its Jan. 30 public bid opening, said Gov. Bobby Jindal and DOTD Secretary William D. Ankner....

N.O.'s Michoud facility to benefit from $45M NASA contract extension.
March 2, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports NASA has awarded a $47.5M contract extension to Lockheed Martin Corp. to build external fuel tanks for the space shuttle. The contract calls for extending a production contract to include the final...

Commentary: Illegal info policy impedes recovery.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Editorial New Orleans city officials are breaking the law by forcing anyone with a public records request to make it in writing. This needlessly bureaucratic hurdle is illegal and self-serving for foot-dragging...

Commentary: Horizon Initiative steps up to fill development void.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Terry O'Connor Greater New Orleans Inc. has long talked a good economic development game but it doesn't seem to fully understand the rules governing Big Business. And if it does understand the rules, it does not always play by...

Commentary: Jindal enjoys solid success in Legislative session.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Jeff Crouere Gov. Bobby Jindal did not receive everything he wanted in the special session but the major pieces of his ethics reform agenda passed. Good government groups were pleased the state took a major step forward in...

Commentary: N.O. requires dual focus on recovery, normalcy.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Mark Singletary As promised by Editor Terry O'Connor last week, we're rolling out a new feature this week. The series called "Where We're At" is designed to solicit insight and input from readers and public officials about ongoing...

Running in place: N.O. Mardi Gras Marathon draws largest crowd in a decade.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr The New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon drew the largest crowd in a decade for its 44th running Feb. 24 with nearly 6,000 participants from 50 states and 16 countries. The runners took advantage of near-perfect temperatures...

New Orleans International Airport wants to curb cab chaos.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport officials say implementing a new management system for airport taxis will ease the disorganization that long has characterized the $30 ride. The New Orleans Aviation...

Where we're at: Owner of N.O.-based HRI Properties expresses optimism.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Terry O'Connor New Orleans native Pres Kabacoff is closer than most to the grassroots work of rebuilding the city. His New Orleans-based company, HRI Properties, is a real estate development company and a national leader in the...

Neighbors demand RSD reopen Mid-City school in New Orleans.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Neighbors are fighting to save Morris F.X. Jeff Elementary School on 800 N. Rendon St. in Mid-City. They converged on a Recovery School District meeting Thursday to demand the repair, renovation and...

Southern University at New Orleans' freshman applications up 127 percent.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The number of freshman applications at Southern University at New Orleans for the fall is up 127 percent from the same semester in 2007, reaching 186 from 82, SUNO said. "This increase contributes greatly...

New Orleans International Airport wants $200M to build rental car facility.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports New Orleans Aviation Board members began the process of building a $142-million rental car facility at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport with a Feb. 25 vote to request $200 million in Gulf...

N.O. Food Cooperative moves closer to opening.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports A virtual grocery cooperative has moved one step closer to becoming a bricks-and-mortar destination for affordable organic food. The New Orleans Food Cooperative -- planned by New Orleans developer Pres...

City of New Orleans backs new school zone warning system.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The city is evaluating bids for a new school-zone warning system expected to be operational at the start of the 2008-09 school year The city expects to award the estimated $1.2-million contract within a...

New Orleans-based River Garden development enters $69M construction finale.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports HRI Properties has started construction on the $69-million final phase of the mixed-income River Garden development that replaced New Orleans' St. Thomas housing project. Thirty-one new apartment...

Rig difficulties cost Energy Partners Ltd. $80M.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The bulk of an $80-million loss for Energy Partners Ltd. in 2007 came in the fourth quarter, when the company was $73.4 million in the red. EPL attributes the slide to mechanical difficulties on its...

What others say.
March 3, 2008... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports 'For Katrina evacuees, a chance to be heard,' Washington Post, Feb. 25 In a cramped guard booth on the edge of a community of luxury townhouses, the sense of helplessness that has become so familiar...

School savings sprout from Global Green U.S.A.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney A.P. Tureaud Elementary School on Pauger Street is a whole lot greener today even without a new coat of paint. Santa Monica, Calif.-based Global Green U.S.A. designated Tureaud as its first Green Seed School in June...

St. Tammany eyes pier, park for old Twin Span.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet More than 3,500 Florida citizens came out Dec. 11, 1999, for the grand opening of the Friendship Trail Bridge, a former traffic-bearing span over Tampa Bay turned recreational fishing destination. Louisiana officials...

Commentary: Bourbon House finesse fries top seafood platter.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris This time of year many of us eat more seafood. The seafood platter, the pile of fried everything, stacked high, lifted higher still by strata of French fries and toast, is the icon of casual seafood eating. You...

Battle lines: Banking industry renews objections to credit union industry's tax exempt status.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Thomas Leggett As credit unions expand and blur membership lines, banking industry executives and lobbyists are renewing their objections to the industry's traditional tax exempt status. "In 2008, there are few meaningful...

New Orleans Financial Briefs: March 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Greg LaRose Capital One is offering a package of banking services for startup businesses. The "New Business Tool Kit" features a business credit card with no annual percentage for the first year, free business and personal...

Look who's talking: CEO of New Orleans-based Liberty Bank and Trust.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Kelly W. Brown Age: 64 Family: wife, Rhesa; and children, Heidi, 32, Alden III, 29, Todd 26 Education: Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University and Columbia University's Commercial Banking Management Program...

March 3-9.
March 3, 2008... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports March 3 Public meeting on the Legislature's special ethics session with state Rep. Kevin Pearson. 6 p.m. at the Slidell City Council Chambers, 1330 Bayou Lane, Trailer 110 in Slidell. The meeting is...

Ruth's Chris could fill Riche niche on Fulton St. in New Orleans.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr Riche, a posh French bistro established after Hurricane Katrina, will reportedly be replaced by a Ruth's Chris Steak House. Riche was opened by celebrity chef Todd English in the Harrah's Casino Hotel on Poydras Street...

N.O. builders hammering out surplus of new homes.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen The inventory of unsold homes in the greater New Orleans region reached a record high in February with 8,806 single-family dwellings constituting a 14-month supply, according to the New Orleans Metropolitan...

Murder Inc.: Medical costs of crime in New Orleans.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Editor's note: Murder Inc. is a two-part series on the business costs of crime. This week focuses on the medical costs. Next week will analyze the costs to the criminal justice system. As criminologist Peter...

Superior Energy sells most of subsidiary for $165M.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Superior Energy Services Inc. has agreed to sell 75 percent of its interest in SPN Resources to Dynamic Offshore and its affiliated companies for $165 million in cash. The transaction is expected to close...

Louisiana's Road Home pays more than $6B on 100,000 claims.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana's Road Home program has closed more than 100,000 grants, representing $6 billion in payouts to homeowners to help rebuild homes. As of Feb. 25, the program had closed 100,452 homeowner grants or...

Magician Criss Angel to perform stunt on New Orleans' Bourbon Street.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Television magician Criss Angel will be in New Orleans Wednesday to attempt a "double straitjacket escape" while dangling over Bourbon Street for an episode of his A&E television show, "Mindfreak." Known...

New Orleans Hornets draw another sellout crowd.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney Another sellout crowd packed the New Orleans Arena Friday night to watch the New Orleans Hornets beat the Utah Jazz 110-98. On the heels of Thursday night's sellout, 17,445 fans attended Friday night's game,...

Omni Bank of New Orleans nets $4.27M in 2007.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Omni Bank reported net income of $4.27 million for 2007. Earnings per share were $1.41. Assets increased by more than $5 million to more than $709 million and deposits were up by more than $10 million to...

New Orleans CityBusiness online poll results: No mall supervision for 16-year-olds.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report At 16 years old, a person should be allowed inside a mall without supervision, according to the majority of voters to CityBusiness' Question of the Week. The online poll, posted a week ago, asked "At what...

St. Tammany eyes pier, park for old Twin Span.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet More than 3,500 Florida citizens came out Dec. 11, 1999, for the grand opening of the Friendship Trail Bridge, a former traffic-bearing span over Tampa Bay turned recreational fishing destination. Louisiana officials...

Official: Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding will not have headquarters.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet Northrop Grumman Corp.'s newly realigned shipbuilding sector, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, will not have an official headquarters, top official Mike Petters said. Petters, president of NGS and corporate vice...

Terrytown-based Superior Plant Services bought for $57M.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Butler, Wis.-based Actuant Corp. today said it has acquired Terrytown-based Superior Plant Services for about $57 million in cash. SPS is a specialized maintenance services company serving the oil and gas...

Tornado watch prompts Jefferson and Orleans parishes to open shelters.
March 3, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Emergency shelters have been opened in Jefferson and Orleans parishes because of the threat of severe weather. Jefferson Parish said it has opened two temporary shelters on both banks of the Mississippi...

Boarding pass changes take effect at N.O. airport.
March 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff NEWAs part of a new procedure being implemented at airports by the Transportation Security Administration, boarding passes and identification documents will be checked by TSA workers rather than contract...

WTC offers briefing in N.O. on 'Doing Business in Taiwan'.
March 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The World Trade Center and Louisiana Economic Development will sponsor a breakfast program, "Doing Business in Taiwan," Friday in the WTC's executive offices at 2 Canal St. Steve Lee, director of LED's Taipei,...

Commentary: Illegal info policy impedes recovery.
March 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff New Orleans city officials are breaking the law by forcing anyone with a public records request to make it in writing. This needlessly bureaucratic hurdle is illegal and self-serving for foot-dragging public...

La. Gov. Jindal aims to reduce business taxes in special session.
March 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Eliminating business taxes and creating a better business climate for Louisiana are goals of Gov. Bobby Jindal, who today released his agenda for a special session of the Legislature that kicks off Sunday. It is...

Louis Armstrong N.O. International passenger count climbs 17 percent.
March 4, 2008... Byline: Deon Roberts Passenger totals were up 17 percent in January, to 671,703 from 574,222 the same month last year, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport said today. "It's just the continuing rebound of the region since the...

Michigan State University law students offer free tax preparation in N.O.
March 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A contingent of students and faculty from Michigan State University College of Law are spending their spring break week helping the recovery of New Orleans by offering free tax return preparation. Starting...

School district performance scores show little change in Louisiana.
March 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff School district performance scores released by the Louisiana Department of Education today reveal little change statewide from last year, although storm-battered parishes were not included in this wave of...

Movie filming could affect Orleans Avenue traffic.
March 4, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Filming for "The Librarian 3: Curse of the Judice Chalice" could cause traffic problems on Orleans Avenue today. Merchants were being cautioned about roadblocks on Orleans Avenue. Filming began at about 10 a.m....

His Honor: Slidell judge speaks out about his role in his city's legal battle with the ACLU.
March 4, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Judge Jim Lamz shut the door to his office and made his way through the Slidell courthouse to the front entrance, the heels of his dress shoes clipping across the barren cement floors. It had been nearly two...

National summit on equitable development starts today in N.O.
March 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff More than 1,500 advocates and policymakers are slated to come to the city for a national summit on equitable development that begins today and runs through Friday. Actor Danny Glover is scheduled to be one among...

Resigning N.O. cultural ambassador cites lack of city commitment.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen New Orleans musician Irvin Mayfield will resign from his post as cultural ambassador for the city of New Orleans at the end of this year, the jazz trumpeter said Tuesday. Mayfield, who was appointed to the unpaid...

Port of New Orleans to unveil $1B master plan.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet The Port of New Orleans will unveil its $1.04-billion 2020 master plan, which includes an outline of proposed long- and short-term infrastructure improvements, on Thursday. For the past five months, Port President and...

'Birdman' back with the N.O. Hornets.
March 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Chris "Birdman" Andersen is a member of the New Orleans Hornets again after a drug suspension kept him out of the National Basketball Association for more than two years. The team today announced that it has...

Red-light cameras yield thousands of tickets in Jefferson Parish.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Emilie Bahr The red-light cameras operating in unincorporated Jefferson Parish have generated copious tickets and plenty of irate motorists. Last month, the Metairie law firm of Joseph R. McMahon III filed class-action lawsuits...

Regional work force planning meeting set for Thursday in N.O.
March 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The development of a stronger Louisiana work force will be the subject of a meeting organized by Delgado Community College, Nunez Community College and Region 1 of Louisiana Technical College. The regional work...

Road Home surplus projected above $1B in La.
March 5, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The Road Home's projected surplus topped $1 billion this week. That's good news for 13,194 homeowners still awaiting elevation money. Those homeowners will receive Road Home elevation money only after all...

Fleur-de-lis Ambassadors in N.O. commit to second year.
March 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A program that sends civic, business and elected officials across the country to promote New Orleans' recovery will return for a second year. Tulane University President Scott Cowen and City Councilman Arnie...

N.O. French immersion school to hold annual fest.
March 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orleans will hold its annual Fete Francaise, a celebration of New Orleans' connection to French arts, food and culture, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. This year's event, Vive Les...

Lafitte Corridor in N.O. master plan complete.
March 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Friends of Lafitte Corridor have released the Lafitte Greenway Master Plan, which calls for transforming the area into a 3-mile trail and public space that will link Armstrong Park to City Park and connect...

Job loss nosedive in U.S. underscores soft economy.
March 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The job market is growing rugged for middle-class Americans. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today the U.S. economy lost 63,000 jobs in February, following a decline of 22,000 jobs in January -- the first...

City of N.O., state officials call for Tulane Avenue upgrades.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen The City Council on Thursday adopted a resolution intended to speed up infrastructure improvements on Tulane Avenue, an underdeveloped area quickly transforming into the next hip place for real estate developers. The...

School savings in N.O. sprout from Global Green.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney A.P. Tureaud Elementary School on Pauger Street is a whole lot greener today even without a new coat of paint. Santa Monica, Calif.-based Global Green USA designated Tureaud as its first Green Seed School in June...

Future of American transportation to be discussed at WTC in N.O.
March 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A luncheon program on "The Future of American Transportation" will be held Wednesday in the Plimsoll Club of the New Orleans World Trade Center, 2 Canal St. The program will focus on various priority issues...

Hammond woman accused of defrauding Red Cross.
March 7, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A federal grand jury today indicted a Hammond woman on three counts of mail fraud for allegedly submitting fraudulent applications to the American Red Cross for post-hurricane financial aid, U.S. Attorney Jim...

Chef 'Bingo' Starr, Jason Roland team on Baton Rouge catering business.
March 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Chefs Richard "Bingo" Starr, who worked at Windsor Court, Marigny Brasserie, Mr. B's and Restaurant Cuvee, and Jason Roland, who worked at Windsor Court, Muriel's Jackson Square and Beau Chene Country...

Juries shutting down welder claims of manufacturer negligence.
March 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Welders suing for health care compensation are increasingly being sealed off by case dismissals. John Beisner, attorney for welding rod manufacturers, applauded the unanimous defense verdicts in the...

Bartenders Guild expands to New Orleans.
March 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Crescent City mixologists are going union. New Orleans is forming a chapter of the U.S. Bartenders Guild, with certification training provided from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at Dickie Brennan's...

Mayor Nagin applauds 1.8-mile Robert E. Lee rehab.
March 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Mayor C. Ray Nagin held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday for the completion of the Robert E. Lee Boulevard repavement in Lakeview. It was the second roadway construction project begun following Hurricane...

Louisiana Oyster Jubilee comes to French Quarter March 23.
March 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The Louisiana Oyster Jubilee March 22 will feature chefs, restaurants and oyster aficionados in the French Quarter competing in the longest oyster po-boy and the oyster shuck 'n run. New Orleans Musical...

Chris Owens' Easter Parade turns 25 this year.
March 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The 25th Chris Owens French Quarter Easter Parade will start at 11 a.m. March 23 at the Astor Crowne Hotel Ballroom with a continental breakfast, hat contest and entertainment. Riders will hop on floats...

U.S. Army Corps to discuss N.O. East levee fixes Monday.
March 9, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, is holding a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church, 14001 Dwyer Blvd., in New Orleans East to discuss the 100-year...

New Orleans-based Ochsner Medical Center provides free seminar on blood clots.
March 10, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The wife of former NBC correspondent David Bloom, who died from a blood clot while covering the war in Iraq, is scheduled to take part in a free public seminar from noon to 1 p.m. today at Ochsner Medical...

Sellout crowd helps New Orleans Hornets attendance.
March 10, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney Another sellout crowd at the New Orleans Arena Friday night helped the New Orleans Hornets edge closer to their attendance goal. A capacity crowd of 17,225 fans watched the Hornets defeat the New Jersey Nets 107-96,...

Louisiana disburses $3.1B in FEMA public assistance.
March 10, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana has disbursed $3.1 billion in FEMA Public Assistance funds, about half of the total obligated by FEMA for hurricane recovery, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday. FEMA has...

Qatar gives $2.5M for Treme recovery.
March 10, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Treme homes damaged and without electricity since Hurricane Katrina will be renovated and restored to working order thanks to a $2.5-million grant from Qatar, a country on the Persian Gulf. The grant, part...

N.O. CityBusiness online poll results: $1.1B surplus should go to state's coast.
March 10, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana should spend its surplus on coastal restoration and protection, according to a majority of voters on CityBusiness' Question of the Week. The poll, posted a week ago, asked how the state should...

Murder costs N.O. millions annually.
March 10, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Editor's note:The finale of the two-part Murder Inc. series today focuses on the costs of murder and violent crime to the community's judicial system. Two men and one woman were shot March 2 in Central City,...

Cable execs to rock out for N.O. recovery.
March 10, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Cable executives will participate in a "Battle of the Bands" during a cable industry conference here to raise funds for New Orleans schools, libraries and other organizations, the National Cable and...

Louisiana hospitality officials push for N.O. Hornets sellout Wednesday.
March 10, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louisiana Restaurant Association, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau and SMG, the management company for the Louisiana Superdome and New Orleans Arena, have teamed with the New...

Louisiana Governor's Technology Awards entries due Friday.
March 10, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The deadline for entries to the annual Governor's Technology Awards program, designed to recognize and celebrate accomplishments of companies making innovative strides, is 5 p.m. Friday. The event is...

Cox, Dish Network reach deal for New Orleans Hornets North Shore broadcast.
March 10, 2008... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Hornets games will be broadcast on the North Shore under a deal reached by Cox Sports Television and Dish Network Corp. The multi-year deal will distribute CST to Dish customers within 75 miles of New...

Murder Inc: Policy shackles.
March 10, 2008... Byline: Richard A. Webster Editor's note:The finale of the two-part Murder Inc. series today focuses on the costs of murder and violent crime to the community's judicial system. Two men and one woman were shot March 2 in Central City,...

Overstuffed N.O. office space at 12-year tenant high.
March 10, 2008... Byline: Ariella Cohen Offices in the New Orleans Central Business District are filling up. The latest occupancy report on the city's tallest neighborhood shows nearly 91 percent of the 8 million square feet of Class A office space...

Pastorek paycheck dwarfs other Gulf educators.
March 10, 2008... Byline: Stephen Maloney A $50,000 pay raise makes Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek the highest-paid public school leader in the Gulf Coast region. Pastorek took office a year ago with a $227,249 salary, a $48,000...

March 11-22.
March 10, 2008... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports March 11 and 13 The second annual French Quarter Wine Festival in Dominique's restaurant at Maison Dupuy Hotel will hold special vintner dinners featuring 12 world-class wineries on Tuesdays and...

GCR & Associates Inc. in N.O. becomes major player in the data-managing world.
March 10, 2008... Byline: Jaime Guillet New Orleans has a hidden gem in the technology consulting sector. In 29 years, GCR & Associates Inc. has grown from a small urban planning consulting firm to a major player in the data-managing world. New Orleans...