$4 Million Per Year Will Be Dedicated To Teacher Recruitment

 New Orleans (NOLA) Public School board approved for approximately $4 million a year to go to teacher retention and training. This funding is part of the “System Wide Needs Program” and was formed by the state Legislature in 2019. The approved spending plan will go from July 2023 to June 2026.

Hopefully this plan will help with NOLA public schools’ problem with declines in enrollment and teachers. The first part of the funding that is being released will help boost teacher growth. The $7 million released over three years will go to recruiting, training and placing teachers. This will hopefully help the system to reach their goal of 750 hires over the next three years. Without this funding there would be a lot of teacher programs that would go away.

The next part of the funding that will be released will be dedicated to specialized programs for students. Around $10 million over the next three years will go to partnerships that will provide an alternative school for middle school students – currently The Bridge run by Educators for Quality Alternatives – and programs targeting specific student populations. It will also include mental health and attendance support services for students with autism and career and technical training students.

They are also looking into using some of the funding to train a handful of teachers in the areas of English learner instruction, social-work services, crisis supports and trauma-informed practices. This process is already taking shape, as New School for New Orleans reported that 430 new teachers were hired in the system due to the current funding.

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Hungry Eyes A New New Orleans Restaurant and Bar

 Hungry Eyes, named after the term “hungry eyes” in the famous 80’s movie, “Dirty Dancing” will be opening in Uptown on Magazine Street. The space at 4206 Magazine Street will be a place locals can go for just a cocktail or a full dinner.

The restaurant’s co-founder, chef Mason Hereford wants the vibe to be 80’s style with a wide range of different food, appetizers and cocktails. ” It’s punchy flavors, big fun, a lot that are meant to be shared,” Hereford says.

The plans are to open Hungry Eyes later this spring. The space will be a 40-seat restaurant that also includes a back patio and will have a dedicated bar and full table service. This is different from Hereford’s other two spots, Turkey and the Wolf and Molly’s Rise and Shine. There are several employees that will move from the other locations to work at Hungry Eyes.

“There’s way too much talent working in those two buildings, so it’s time to provide and opportunity to grow together,” said Hereford

The menu is still in the works but will be guided by the same concept as Turkey and the Wolf and Molly’s Rise and Shine. The new restaurant will be a bit more refined with mid-range prices. Patrons will enjoy a comfortable atmosphere that is welcoming to parties or solo guests.

“We want everyone that comes in here to feel welcome and cool and sexy in this space,” he says.

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A New Development on St. Charles Avenue

 The former Rite Aid on St. Charles Avenue will become a new live, work and play development.

The Besthoff family has owned the property ever since the original K & B drugstore was there over sixty years ago. The family is excited to get construction going on the project.

The plans call for redeveloping close to the entire city block of St. Charles and Louisiana Avenues, and Carondelet and Delachaise Streets. The new 200,000 square feet development will have two apartment buildings, and 18,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The development is one of the many new projects that are along St. Charles Avenue.

So far, 3401 St. Charles, LLC, the name of the Besthoff’s company, has approval from the Historic Districts Landmarks Commission and the city Board of Zoning Adjustments. They have also settled a lawsuit with the Garden District Association over the height of one of the apartment buildings. The next step will be to obtain permits from the city and finalize financing for the more than $55 million project. The company hopes to break ground later this year.

“We are lining everything up and are optimistic we will be ready once we get our permits, which we know will take some time,” the statement said.

They have purchased the land that was once Ochsner Health Center and will demolish the center along with the drugstore to make way for the two apartment buildings. One of the buildings will be U-shaped in design and house one, two and three bedroom units. The complex will have a swimming pool, dog park and enclosed parking garage that will all be for residents only. Retail space will fill the ground-floor area that will hopefully house retail, a local restaurant and a local coffee shop.

The other apartment complex will have 20 units on three stories and will be permanent housing with no short term rentals. Along with the buildings and amenities they will add new street lights, landscaping, outdoor seating and protected bike lanes.

“Everyone wanted something on that corner, other than a vacant old Rite Aide. So, we are hopeful they will do a quality development that will benefit not only them but the neighborhood,” comments Garden District Association President Allain Hardin.

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What Will Become of Emril Laggasse’s French Quarter Restaurant NOLA?

NOLA, has been a French Quarter staple for close to 30 years but has been closed since March of 2020 due to the pandemic.  It has left many wondering if the restaurant will reopen?  The question has been answered as a different local restaurant company has leased the building that NOLA is located in at 534 St. Louis Street. 

NOLA will be turned into Boulevard American Bistro by Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts.  The group owns over 20 different restaurants and bars around the New Orleans area.  The Boulevard brand which currently has locations in Metairie, Elmwood and Covington, will now have a fourth location in the French Quarter.

The new restaurant is slated to open its doors by January 2023.  The restaurant will serve cuisine between high-end Creole and casual Creole which is a perfect fit for the French Quarter.  "We want to bring something fresh to the French Quarter, something needed in the selection of restaurants here.  It's going to be an All-American, polished casual restaurant," says Marv Ammari CEO.

The new restaurant will still have the same structure to it, with just renovations to the decor and furnishings. The wood-burning oven, open kitchen and elevator will still be there.  The bar will be larger in the new restaurant like the bar in the Boulevard American Bistro in Covington.  In fact, the company started up with bars and then went into the local restaurant business.  Their restaurants include Broussards, Cafe Maspero and the Bombay Club which are all located in the French Quarter and Tommy's and Ernst Cafe in the Warehouse District.

"At the end of the day, we owe it to New Orleans, and we need to be part of building the city," Ammari says.
Boulevard first opened in 2015 after the group took over the Houston's in Metairie.  All the locations share the same American temporary flare with dishes including prime rib, seared tuna salads, crab cakes, cedar plank salmon and barbecue ribs. The new restaurant will have a slightly different take with more steaks and a bigger wine list.

"We're working with a menu we know and execute very well. It's a matter of getting the right team together, Ammari commented.

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The Current New Orleans Housing Market

 Many buyers have become very frustrated with the housing market within the past two years.  Buyers are in crazy bidding wars making it hard to find a home. One home buyer, who has a price range of $400,000 to $450,000, is surprisingly being outbid the last several attempts and purchasing a home. 

“There is not a lot of property on the market that is viable and when they do come up, they sell within a matter of days.  I even offered all cash, full asking price recently and it got bought out from under me,”  says a current renter.

New Orleans and the surrounding neighborhoods have seen their share of quick home sales and high bids on properties.  This scenario has been the same whether a homebuyer is purchasing a starter home or a luxury home.  Professionals in the industry say there are many determining factors that say a change is ahead.  In 2021 a 30-year mortgage was at 3% while current rates are averaging around 6.3%.  The higher monthly payment cost coupled with the rising inflation is making buying power weaker.  The U.S. inflation has climbed above 8% which was around 5% this time last year.

All of these occurrences have caused a slump in the number of home sales.  In fact, the New Orleans metro area which includes nine parishes, is seeing a 10% decrease in the number of home sales compared to the home sales of the same time last year.  This is also confirmed by the number of homes on the market.  The market is up 14% compared to last year but the sales are down from last year.  Currently, we are also increasing the months’ supply of inventory from 2 months to 3 months.

Even though the market is becoming less and less of a seller’s market, it is still not seeing the sales.  The most demand seen is in Mid-City, Uptown, parts of the Bywater and Old Metairie.  “It’s probably the strangest housing market I’ve seen in 20 years. Some houses now are sitting for 30 to 60 days, and offers fly off the market overnight with multiple offers. It’s house by house, block by block, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense,” said Craig Mirambell, a Metairie area broker.

“Anything that is well priced, realistically priced, goes fast.  Some of the frenzy has died down.  But anything well priced will sell,” says Bron Hebert, a realtor with Francher Perrin Group.

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