NEW ORLEANS – With more than 80,000 patrons visiting City recreational facilities in the first six months of 2015 alone, Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the City of New Orleans applauded a summer of progress for the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC), including successful programming and openings of recreational sites and pools.
The City has invested over $57 million in NORDC programming and $157 million in NORDC capital improvements since Mayor Landrieu took office in May 2010.
“From day one, my administration has committed to providing safe places and opportunities for our young people to grow, learn and play,” said Mayor Landrieu. “This year, thousands of youth and teens enjoyed valuable summer experiences in our state-of-the-art centers, parks and playgrounds. We will not stop until quality facilities and meaningful experiences reach every neighborhood and family across the city, and we will not rest until NORDC is the best recreation department in the country.”
“NORDC is extremely proud of delivering another incredibly successful summer for youth and families across the city, “ said Vic Richard, CEO of NORDC. “As NORDC continues to grow and offer more diverse opportunities to more people of all ages, we look forward to building on our successes and doubling down on our efforts to provide safe, educational, recreational and culturally-engaging opportunities to the residents of New Orleans.”
NORDC CAMPS
This year, NORDC offered 39 youth camps (ages 4-12) that served over 3,900 kids across the city through partnerships with schools, non- profits and faith-based organizations. The programming offered an array of academic, cultural and recreational activities, including free field trip to the Audubon Zoo, the Aquarium of the Americas and NORDC pols for swimming lessons.
In addition, NORDC offered 10 teen camps (ages 13-15) that served nearly 1,200 teens across the city. In partnership with JOB 1, the City’s office of workforce development, teen camps offered local teenagers career exploration seminars to allow for exposure to a variety of job fields. Additionally, teens earned a stipend of $75 per week.
In 2010, Share Our Strength joined with Mayor Landrieu to launch the New Orleans “No Kid Hungry” campaign, a public-private partnership working to end childhood hunger in New Orleans. The campaign is working towards that goal by connecting kids to federal nutrition programs including free school breakfast, free after-school meals and free meals during the summer. This year, NORDC served over 196,500 free nutritious breakfast and lunch meals to youth and teen camp participants.
Noting the successes in attracting partners like Chevron, Boh Brothers, and American Red Cross, Vic Richard said, “We are maximizing and attracting support from corporate and philanthropic champions that are equally committed to the future of our great city. Each year, NORDC summer programming grows stronger and there is still so much more progress to be made in the coming years.”
NORDC POOLS
This year, the City operated 15 pools, and the summer pool schedule extended an extra three weeks.
NORDC’s SPLASH! Swimming and Safety Program provided summer camp youth with a course to help improve swimming skills, confidence and water safety awareness. This summer, 3,930 youth completed the SPLASH! Swimming and Safety Program. Weekly topics included safely entering a pool, moving in the water, and swimming strokes.
CAPITAL PROJECTS
Sanchez Center
In May 2015, the City of New Orleans opened the $20.5 million Andrew P. Sanchez & Copelin-Byrd Multi-Service Center (Sanchez Center) in the historic Lower Ninth Ward. The center is a two-story, 65,000-square-foot community center for the Lower Ninth Ward. It replaces a 50,000-square-foot community center, which was demolished after Hurricane Katrina. The difference in square footage is attributed to the addition of a 25-meter indoor swimming pool, which was not part of the original facility.
Amenities at the Sanchez Center include: two-story entrance lobby with full height glazing, regulation-size high school indoor basketball court with retractable bleachers and performance stage, commercial kitchen and concessions, exercise room, dance room, game room, senior center, health clinic, multi-purpose classrooms, computer lab, reading room, music room and arts and crafts classroom.
Stallings St. Claude
In July 2015, the City of New Orleans opened the $6.2 million Stallings St. Claude Center and Pool in the Bywater neighborhood. The new 17,000-square-foot facility replaces the previous 13,000-square-foot community center that was damaged during Hurricane Katrina.
Amenities at the new Stallings St. Claude Center and Pool include a new community center featuring a full-size gymnasium; fitness room; multi-purpose rooms for dance, music, and activities; renovated pool and pool building; recreation field; basketball court; parking area and driveways; bike racks; and, new landscaping.
In the coming weeks, the City will open the Rosenwald Center at 1120 South Broad St. in the B.W. Cooper neighborhood.
