The "unwanted neighborhoods" are pretty much irreparable and will be demolished anyhow, and I can't imagine why anyone would then turn around and build brand new slums back in their place..
We could make it into a great beach!!
PS. It's also worth noting that most of the "underclass" of New Orleans will probably never move back. They have no reason to that I can think of. They will resettle in the new cities. The future "underclass" of New Orleans will be primarily Latino immigrants associated with the construction. The New New Orleans will be a totally different city.
Think Trump is thinking about it or is he smarter than that? Maybe he can be creative and build a bubble building that floats... :P
ping
Some Godawful memorial to the Katrina victims, with info on slavery, lynchings and how Bush was at fault for everything.
Someone let Justice Souter know!!
GOLF COURSES, lots of golf courses.
Well they better hold off awhile. TD 16 could make it into the Gulf.
It's obvious that outside of the port facilities and the Latin Quarter, the highest and best use for most of the land between the lake and the river is as a wildlife refuge ~ lots of 'gators, wildpigs, you know, the regular stuff. Other areas can be opened up for more intense urban development.
The West Bank area (actually to the south and east of downtown New Orleans) is largely intact (a number of my relatives' homes are in this area) and was not flooded as it is on the opposite side of the river.
Why is this in breaking news????!!!!
They didn't raise the 9th ward after Betsy. This is much worse, granted but we'll see. Depends on whether they had insurance and lots of factors.
I received 14" of water from a rainstorm in 1978 on the West Bank of N.O. The water went down after a few days. You cut up the carpet, pull it out, allow the apartment to dry for 2 weeks, put carpet back in on top of the mushrooms. That's how it's done in New Orleans for normal floods. Maybe replace the sheetrock. This is much worse so I'm not sure. But I wouldn't automatically assume they raise all those neighborhoods.
City lots aren't cheap. Eminent domain requires fair compensation, but the question will hinge on what values to put on the land. Before flood? After flood?
I heard Souter was in a pop-up camper looking for a real estate deal in N.O. just in case things back east don't go so well.
The "poor" of New Orleans will not have the same situation as before. Mnay will not return. There will be a big push for Habitat for Humanity type housing but high rise and more expensive housing developments will dominate because land costs will be high. Developers will turn NO into a mini NY City. Possibly a water oriented community (no joke). New Orleans could become major city in South in 5-10 years. There will be a small business called, "Dunk the Mayor" where for one dollar, you get a chance to knock the mayor into a pool of sludge.
If Speaker Hastert has any say, the money will carefully guarded. N.O. and Louisanna have no money. It will be all Fed Money. Lots of strings and IOUs.
Bet on it!
If'n I owned some property that was 10-20 ft under water I'd welcome some public entity excercising eminent domain paying me for it. My insurance would only cover the above ground property thus I'd get rebuild money but I think if I was in that situation I'd prefer to move on... just my musings.
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