New Orleans Scope One
Here is one of the scopes I was given. I will notice it is not a project at all, it is just a newspaper article.
Daron Davis lives in a trailer in the parking lot behind Drago’s Seafood Restaurant in Metairie.
It’s miles away from his flooded South Roman Street home in New Orleans and hours from Alexandria, where he evacuated during the storm.
The trailer doesn’t look like much outside. It’s one of nine taking up about 20 parking spaces in the Fat City section of Metairie, across the street from Crazy Johnnie’s Steakhouse, the nightclub Toxic and a church.
But it’s convenient for Davis, who began working as a maintenance man at Drago’s two months ago. He took the job because housing was part of the deal.
“You gotta do what you gotta do,” said the New Orleans native, who is saving up to buy a home. “It’s a blessing.”
Davis is one of the lucky ones. So many other hospitality workers still need a place to live that business owners are working on a plan to house service workers in trailers on the West Bank.
About four months ago, Warren Reuther, president of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Board, proposed a “Hospitality Village” be placed on 23 acres off Mardi Gras Boulevard in Algiers to house hospitality workers.
He and a group of private investors bought the land for an undisclosed amount. They have been working out housing specifics ever since.
“Are we going to do it? Yes,” Reuther said. “Is it going to be a hospitality village? Yes. But we’re not sure if we’re going to use modular homes or trailers. We have to decide what route we’re going to take that would be best for our workers. We want to do it but we want to make sure we do the right thing.”
Reuther said the decision should be made this week.
Leo Skinner, spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said FEMA would lease the pads for the trailers to the private investors if they need trailers. It will cost FEMA between $700 and $800 per month for each pad, which includes all utilities. It would be in lieu of each family receiving rental assistance, Skinner said.
“While the trailers would be used for hospitality workers, I want to underline that to live there, you must be FEMA-eligible. They can’t just bring anyone onto that site,” Skinner said. “We understand in order to help get people back to the city and support the economy, there is a need for housing. However, if we don’t fill it with (hospitality) workers, we will fill it with other eligible applicants. We’d like a no-vacancy policy.”
More than enough hospitality workers need a place to live, industry officials say.
“We’ll be able to fill that with hospitality people,” said Tom Weatherly, vice president of communications and research for the Louisiana Restaurant Association. “I feel certain that between the restaurants and hotels downtown, there are more than 350 families eligible. People are eager to come back to the city but they need to have a place to stay.”
Business owners are eager for Reuther, the investors and FEMA to raise the Hospitality Village.
“We need to do whatever we can to bring the working back,” said Tommy Cvitanovich, Drago’s owner. “There are not enough trailers in the city right now and there’s nowhere near enough employees in the city. My people are working 60 hours per week and we’re not open for Saturday lunch and still close an hour early every day.”•
Daron Davis lives in a trailer in the parking lot behind Drago’s Seafood Restaurant in Metairie.
It’s miles away from his flooded South Roman Street home in New Orleans and hours from Alexandria, where he evacuated during the storm.
The trailer doesn’t look like much outside. It’s one of nine taking up about 20 parking spaces in the Fat City section of Metairie, across the street from Crazy Johnnie’s Steakhouse, the nightclub Toxic and a church.
But it’s convenient for Davis, who began working as a maintenance man at Drago’s two months ago. He took the job because housing was part of the deal.
“You gotta do what you gotta do,” said the New Orleans native, who is saving up to buy a home. “It’s a blessing.”
Davis is one of the lucky ones. So many other hospitality workers still need a place to live that business owners are working on a plan to house service workers in trailers on the West Bank.
About four months ago, Warren Reuther, president of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Board, proposed a “Hospitality Village” be placed on 23 acres off Mardi Gras Boulevard in Algiers to house hospitality workers.
He and a group of private investors bought the land for an undisclosed amount. They have been working out housing specifics ever since.
“Are we going to do it? Yes,” Reuther said. “Is it going to be a hospitality village? Yes. But we’re not sure if we’re going to use modular homes or trailers. We have to decide what route we’re going to take that would be best for our workers. We want to do it but we want to make sure we do the right thing.”
Reuther said the decision should be made this week.
Leo Skinner, spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said FEMA would lease the pads for the trailers to the private investors if they need trailers. It will cost FEMA between $700 and $800 per month for each pad, which includes all utilities. It would be in lieu of each family receiving rental assistance, Skinner said.
“While the trailers would be used for hospitality workers, I want to underline that to live there, you must be FEMA-eligible. They can’t just bring anyone onto that site,” Skinner said. “We understand in order to help get people back to the city and support the economy, there is a need for housing. However, if we don’t fill it with (hospitality) workers, we will fill it with other eligible applicants. We’d like a no-vacancy policy.”
More than enough hospitality workers need a place to live, industry officials say.
“We’ll be able to fill that with hospitality people,” said Tom Weatherly, vice president of communications and research for the Louisiana Restaurant Association. “I feel certain that between the restaurants and hotels downtown, there are more than 350 families eligible. People are eager to come back to the city but they need to have a place to stay.”
Business owners are eager for Reuther, the investors and FEMA to raise the Hospitality Village.
“We need to do whatever we can to bring the working back,” said Tommy Cvitanovich, Drago’s owner. “There are not enough trailers in the city right now and there’s nowhere near enough employees in the city. My people are working 60 hours per week and we’re not open for Saturday lunch and still close an hour early every day.”•
posted by JNA | 1:13 AM
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