New play equipment, an outdoor pavilion and a new security force are among the plans for the future of the Lafitte Greenway, which earlier this year came under management of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission.

As business ventures have begun to pop up along the Greenway in recent years, many observers have wondered about the Greenway's ultimate fate. On Tuesday (June 27), the CEO of the city's recreation department, Vic Richard, sought to dispel "rumors" that the Greenway might one day be privatized - though he did not elaborate on what those rumors entailed.

"The city owns that space," Richard said at a community meeting about the Greenway on Tuesday (June 27). "We will not give it away. That's prime space."

Source: NOLA.com

Full Article: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/06/lafitte_greenway_nordc_capital.html

Load up on zen this summer with a free hot yoga series.

Friends of Lafitte Greenway are bringing back their popular summertime hot yoga classes this year, open to all ages and skill levels. The free weekly course – which runs for eight weeks – will be led by The Ohm Well’s Valerie McMillan, an instructor with a passion for creating inclusive and safe spaces for all of her students on and off the mat.

The classes are all-levels, and beginners are welcome. Participants should bring a towel and water, and are encouraged to bring a friend.

The series kicks of Wednesday on the field at Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center, 2200 Lafitte St. Classes run from 6 to 7 p.m. through August 2.

Source: Mid-City Messenger

Full Article: http://midcitymessenger.com/2017/06/08/free-hot-yoga-classes-return-to-lafitte-greenway-this-summer/

Friends of Lafitte Greenway are offering up a free and fun way to get fit this Spring.

Free bilingual Zumba classes will be held every Tuesday as part of Friends’ Get Fit the Green Way program, which works to improve opportunities for health and wellbeing for all New Orleans residents and Lafitte Greenway communities.

Classes take place every Tuesday through April 25th from 6-7pm on the field at Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center, 2200 Lafitte St.

Zumba is a choreography-based dance fitness workout inspired by Latin music and is appropriate for all ages, sizes and experience levels.

Source: Mid-City Messenger

Full Article: http://midcitymessenger.com/2017/04/03/free-zumba-classes-on-lafitte-greenway-throughout-april/

Plans for an outdoor bar to be built on an undeveloped site along the Lafitte Greenway in Mid-City were approved Tuesday by New Orleans city planners.

The project is among the first retail efforts planned along the $9 million greenway, which opened in late 2015 and stretches from the edge of the French Quarter to Bayou St. John.

Local businessmen Herbert Dyer, Billy Good and Rusty Smith — who are partners in the dog daycare business Camp Bow Wow in Mid-City — are behind the new effort. It would be built near Bayou Bicycles.

Dyer and Smith also have ownership ties to the Velvet Cactus in New Orleans and Baton Rouge and the Bulldog bar and grill locations, which include New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Source: New Orleans Advocate 

Full Article: http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/business/article_abe53158-1401-11e7-9343-47464f047818.html

Saturday’s rain and wind didn’t deter some folks from enjoying food, live music and local craft beer.

The annual Hike the Greenway, presented by Friends of Lafitte Greenway, marched on Saturday through the occasional gust of wind and bouts of rain. Revelers could participate in a three mile guided tour of the Greenway with an after party at Second Line Brewery, featuring local live music and three food trucks.

Source: Mid-City Messenger

Full Article: http://midcitymessenger.com/2017/03/27/hike-the-greenway-draws-revelers-despite-rain-wind/

Several Mid-City businesses positively impact the culture, quality of life and appearance of the neighborhood, and two such organizations were called into the spotlight.

The Greater Mid-City Business Association held its annual award luncheon Tuesday to honor local businesses that improve, embrace and impact Mid-City. This year’s gala featured a new award that recognizes a single business owner, as well as an award for the “Business of the Year.”

Jay Nix, owner of Parkway Bakery and Tavern, took home that Person of the Year trophy.

“I didn’t know whether to stand up or fall out of my chair,” Nix said. “It’s just so special to me.”

Source: Mid-City Messenger

Full Article: http://midcitymessenger.com/2017/03/22/mid-city-business-association-honors-person-of-the-year/

The Trump administration will slash more than $6 billion in funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and eliminate community development grants, according to a budget outline obtained by The Washington Post.

The Office of Management and Budget’s “blueprint” for 2018 puts HUD’s funding at $40.7 billion, down from $46.9 billion in 2017, representing a cut of 13.2 percent. The funding levels detailed in the OMB’s blueprint closely match preliminary numbers The Post first reported last week.

Throughout the OMB budget outline, the administration emphasizes its belief that local governments should be the ones primarily responsible for urban-development programs.

“State and local governments are better positioned to serve their communities based on local needs and priorities,” the budget document says.

The budget proposal would eliminate funding for the Community Development Block Grant program, which supports a wide range of urban-renewal projects and received $3 billion in funding for 2017. The decades-old grant program has been used to fund such projects as the Lafitte Greenway in New Orleans and to support Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts.

Source: Washington Post

Full Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-budget-asks-for-6-billion-in-hud-cuts-drops-development-grants/2017/03/15/1b157338-09a0-11e7-b77c-0047d15a24e0_story.html?utm_term=.e06f4cc128e7

Looking to join the city's pledge to Lenten fitness? Or perhaps the reality of summer fast approaching has you wanting to shed the winter weight. Whatever the reason, you can now get fit for free. Today marks the first of a series of free workout classes at the newly-opened FitLot park near the Lafitte Greenway.

An official ribbon cutting ceremony was held earlier in the week to celebrate the public debut of the What You Give Will Grow FitLot Fitness Park. The central feature of the FitLot park is the structure built of various circut training equipment housed under an open tent-like structure. Every Wednesday from 5:30PM-6:30PM for the next three months will see a FitLot trainer teach circuit training classes making use of the park's equipment.

Source: NOLA Defender

Full Article: http://www.noladefender.com/content/lafitte-greenways-fitlot-kicks-free-fitness-classes

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) -
A new fitness park opens in the Fauborg-Lafitte neighborhood. Located at 2200 Lafitte on the Lafitte greenway, FitLot is a uniquely designed park with over 15 pieces of outdoor fitness equipment.

The park is free and open to the public and equipment is suitable for all ages and abilities. There's also a playground located next to it while parents exercise.

After several years of planning, designing and fundraising, the New Orleans based non-profit is excited to have FitLot up and running in the community and hopes to help others build more in the future.

Wednesday, FitLot will host free Workout Wednesday workouts featuring a trainer starting at 5:30 p.m.

Source: Fox 8

Full Article: http://www.fox8live.com/story/34765693/new-fitness-park-opens-in-fauborg-lafitte-neighborhood

The Lafitte Greenway is a 2.6-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail and green corridor that connects neighborhoods from Armstrong Park to City Park in New Orleans. The $9.1 million project broke ground in early 2014 and opened in November of 2015. The Lafitte Greenway significantly transformed one of the most historic areas of New Orleans into a multi-use transportation corridor and linear park.

The Greenway includes a 12-foot asphalt path for cyclists and pedestrians, new recreation fields, green space, and landscaping improvements including approximately 500 shade trees, native plant meadows, bioswales and stormwater retention features. The path is fully lit with LED energy-efficient trail lighting and includes curb extensions, signalized high visibility crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps at sidewalk corners, environmental remediation, a crushed stone walking path, and a bicycle and pedestrian roundabout. Many new retail, restaurant, and entertainment options are also popping up along the Lafitte Corridor.

Source: Stirling Insights

Full Article: https://stirlingproperties.wordpress.com/2017/03/03/helping-to-grow-the-lafitte-greenway/