Convention Center Authority files plans for $65M linear park

Bourbon Street won’t be the only French Quarter street getting an overhaul in the near future.

Just last week, the New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority—the governing board of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center—filed plans to construct its $65 million linear park.

The new park will be between Poydras and Henderson Streets on Convention Center Boulevard. The upgrades include a tree-lined plaza, improved lighting, updated crosswalks and traffic lanes, moving walkways, and a bike lane. Based on the renderings, Convention Center Boulevard will only have one traffic lane each direction, while the bike lane heads down river.

Manning Architects, Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, Spackman Mossop and Michaels, Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design will lead the design of the park.

For a look at the plans filed, click here.

The linear park is a part of The Convention Center District Development Project which are several improvements along the Convention Center Boulevard. The $700 million investment, which will include both private and private dollars, will add an mixed-use developments, retail shops, restaurants and several entertainment, culture and art venues.

In May of 2015, The Authority initially approved the concept of overhauling Poydras and Henderson Streets, along the Convention Center Boulevard. The Authority has deemed it the largest investment in New Orleans since the World Fair of 1984.

• NOLA considers four ideas on how to move vehicular traffic away from Bourbon Street [Curbed NOLA]
• Check Out The Convention Center's Plans for the Riverfront [Curbed NOLA]
• Convention Center Authority approves linear [Curbed NOLA]