NEW ORLEANS — From the City of New Orleans:
The City of New Orleans announced that it is pursuing RESTORE Act funds with a proposal to redevelop Lincoln Beach into a recreational park. For the next 45-days, the City is accepting public comments on the proposal, which is available at nola.gov/LincolnBeach.
“The revitalization of Lincoln Beach provides the City with an opportunity to bring this historic space back into service for residents of New Orleans East, which is an area in need of family-friendly options for recreational activity,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “We are excited to move forward with our plan to restore this waterfront property that has been closed for nearly 50 years.”
In April 2021, the City completed a site assessment, which outlined possible scenarios to re-open Lincoln Beach. The estimate to redevelop the property ranges from $10 to $17 million, depending on which features are most acceptable to build safely and properly maintain. At a minimum, the existing structures need to be either upgraded or removed, and improvements must be made to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
The draft Multi-Year Implementation Plan is being released for public comment in compliance with U.S. Treasury Department’s RESTORE Act Final Rule and 31 C.F.R. § 34.303(b). Residents are asked to provide comments confirming their agreement of the proposed use of the RESTORE Act Trust Fund. A copy of the proposal is available for download at nola.gov/LincolnBeach. Comments will be accepted through Nov. 30, 2021 and should be submitted to afeldbaum@nola.gov.
This is the first of several administrative steps required to access up to eight million dollars allocated to Orleans Parish by the RESTORE Act. Once the proposed plan is approved, the City will apply to the U.S. Treasury Department to access the grant funds.
The RESTORE Act Trust fund was put in place following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. To access the funds, the proposed use must meet at least one of 11 criteria. The City’s proposal would meet several of the criteria including:
- Restoration and protection of the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches and coastal wetlands of the Gulf Coast region.
- Workforce development and job creation.
- Infrastructure projects benefiting the economy or ecological resources, including port infrastructure.
- Planning assistance.
- Promotion of tourism in the Gulf Coast region, including recreational fishing.
Lincoln Beach remains closed to the public during the planning process. Trespassing citations of up to $500 may be issued.
To sign up for regular status updates visit nola.gov/LincolnBeach.
