NEW ORLEANS – Senior staff and consultants from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center have recommended three development teams for participation in the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority request for proposal (RFP) process, as the Authority moves toward development of a 39-acre mixed-use development project that will complement the planned 1,200 room headquarters hotel along the New Orleans riverfront.
After completing a detailed “interview, qualifications and capabilities” review process that included five respondents, the authority has selected three teams to compete in the RFP process. The three selected teams are as follows:
- Woodward, Leventhal, Carpenter (JV)
- The Domain Companies
- River Park Neighborhood Investors.
The Authority expects to issue the RFP by Dec. 13, 2019 with an established final submittal deadline of February 28, 2020.
“We are extremely gratified by the interest shown by five well-regarded and highly-experienced development teams, and believe the three finalists demonstrate the kind of vision, experience, and capabilities necessary to bring this transformative project to life,” said Michael J. Sawaya, president of the Morial Convention Center.
The request for qualifications, made available to interested parties on Sept. 6, 2019, called for respondents to detail their capabilities and approach to developing 39 acres of property owned by the exhibition hall authority and adjacent to acreage designated for the convention center’s planned 1,200 room hotel.
The RFQ stipulated that submittals should outline each respondent’s vision for creating a “mixed use development that will lead to a vibrant neighborhood, serve as an economic driver for the State of Louisiana and City of New Orleans, develop a compelling value proposition that will attract visitors and uses to the site, and build a consensus among public and private stakeholders.”
