Announcement Date: June 17, 2020

Q&A Virtual Information Session (optional): Wednesday, June 24, 2020 | 12pm-1:15pm, Register Here

Submission Deadline: July 1, 2020

Announcement of Winner: July 10, 2020* (subject to change)

Deadline to Complete & Install: October 31, 2020

Eligibility: Landscape Design-Build firms or multidisciplinary teams (see Team Qualifications on pg. 7)

Maximum Total Budget: $39,700

Friends of Lafitte Greenway is calling on landscaping and landscape design-build firms or multidisciplinary teams to submit qualifications for the The Clarity Parks Project: Lafitte Greenway Plaza (The Plaza), a design-build project to create a visionary, active and flexible community gathering place on the Lafitte Greenway near Bayou St. John.

The project site historically served as the driveway from N. Jefferson Davis Parkway to the old Brake Tag Station motor vehicle inspection building. This March, the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORD) completed a $1.5 million renovation to transform the old Brake Tag Station facility into a new flexible community pavilion on the Lafitte Greenway. This project seeks to complement and expand the transformation of the overall site from a historic driveway for cars into a welcoming pedestrian plaza for farmers markets, community events, passive use, and programming--expanding the Greenway’s role as a cultural asset. 

Located at the central node of New Orleans bike network, and the historic crossroads of Bayou St. John and the former Carondelet Canal, The Plaza project is fueled by years of community visioning and demand, including in the 2013 Greenway Master Plan and public input at community events since the Greenway opened in 2015. Design for the Plaza will be subject to community engagement and City approval. 

The project is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Clarity Parks Project, a collaboration of the Project for Public Spaces and Claritin® to help parks and public spaces fulfill their vital role in the community. This initiative has provided grants to improve public spaces in three communities across the U.S. that have been impacted by natural disasters, including the Greenway and parks in Austin, TX, and Tulsa OK. This project will be implemented in partnership with the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORD).

The Plaza will complement the transformation that has already begun on the site, including the below, and will help guide future investments:

The Brake Tag Pavilion - In March 2020, The City of New Orleans completed a $1.5 million renovation of the old Brake Tag Station to convert it into a community pavilion. The operator and uses of the building have not yet been determined, and are subject to public input. The Pavilion will likely include a restaurant or concessions, and flexible community programming space. 

Iris of Memory Art Installation - In 2019, Friends, NORD, and the Arts Council of New Orleans commissioned a $30,000 permanent art installation, Iris of Memory by Will Nemitoff. This iconic Iris sculpture will be installed this fall at the front of the site nearest Jeff. Davis Parkway. The sculpture will illuminate at night, and its leaves double as benches. 

The selected firm will work with the project partners, Friends of Lafitte Greenway, New Orleans Recreation Development Commission and Project for Public Spaces to design, support community engagement, and implement the project by October 31, 2020.

This is a rapid-build project with a limited budget, and great opportunity to guide the upcoming use and transformation of this central site on the Lafitte Greenway.

Learn More & Apply

Apply by July 1, 2020.

Q&A Information Session: 

Learn more about the project goals and RFQ requirements, and connect with potential teammates at a virtual Q&A Information session. 

Wednesday, June 24, 2020 | 12:00 pm-1:15 pm

via Zoom

Register Here