This past June, the City of New Orleans and Port of New Orleans held a discussion regarding the expansion of public access to the riverfront.
In a recent real estate deal, the Port secured the former France Road shipyard property by the Industrial Canal for $10.5 million. This deal will allow TCI Packaging, a tenant at the Gov. Nicholls and Esplanade Avenue wharves, to move from the riverfront to the purchased location.
This move is a part of a plan to hand over 2.6 miles of the New Orleans riverfront from the Port of New Orleans to the City, expanding current public access to the Riverfront. While no plans have been solidified, Mayor Mitch Landrieu hinted at using the land for “public enjoyment,” last June.
The plan also aligns the Public Belt and its assets under the Port of New Orleans, which will give the Port access to six freight rail roads.
Located by the wharves is Crescent Park that is a 1.4 mile linear park along the Riverfront, spanning from Elysian Fields Avenue to Mazant Street.