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that the Musicians' Village supported by Connick and the Marsalis family is located in a lower-risk area. I know it is pretty near the French Quarter, which we know survived very well. The houses are built 5-1/2 feet off the ground.
I do see the need for the Village in order to keep as many musicians in the area as possible before they drift away permanently to other parts of the country.
It will never be NOLA again without the music.
The truth always matters.
by texasmom on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:05:31 AM PDT
[ Parent ]
It is ultimately people and spirit that make a neighborhood and the music needs to be played and enjoyed again from a front porch.
I was mostly coming from a professional point of view that while new is needed in wiped out places like the Lower Ninth or the part of the Upper Ninth that the Musician's Village is in, focus should also be put on restoring exisiting housing instead of seeing blighted buildings as eyesores ready for the bulldozer. It's rare to find a building so bad off that it can't be restored in some way. And it is usually more cost-effective which is a very powerful argument in its favor.
The arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice - MLK
by Ripeness Is All on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:24:06 AM PDT
and believe that new construction will not replace the character and spirit of the original buildings. Maybe this is where private initiative works best - each rehab will have its own unique problems and solutions. I don't think that is something a bureaucracy will be able to handle.
by texasmom on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:43:26 AM PDT
The problem is clear title. LA operates under the French law of forced heirship. Families have owned the properties for over 7 generations. Where do you start and who pays? Personally, I have inherited several properties of which I am trying to clear title. This is costing me money and time and then I have the expense of rennovation. I do not want to go into debt, nor do I know what the future holds for NOLA. The private sector needs some type of incentive or maybe the plan is to just rot so the developers and politicians can benefit.
by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:52:00 AM PDT
Good old Napoleonic law. My husband did his first year of law school at Loyola and I work with land titles - thankfully, not often in Louisiana!
I wish you luck in clearing your title. Do you have anyone helping you?
by texasmom on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:59:21 AM PDT
My uncle got power of attorney after the death of my grandmother prior to Katrina. My sister and I are requesting he now account for all assets, which I do believe he squandered so now we inherit the property for our portion. This consists of a shot gun double, one half which is ready to rent and the other side which requires major work. In addition there was a "camp" in Slidell which is now just a peice of marsh, as Katrina blew the building away. There was no insurance because this type of property was prohibitively expensive to insure, so you just took your chances. Now of course, tax payers supplement insurance for the wealthy that build McMansion in vulnerable areas.
by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 11:00:02 AM PDT
The public housing is garden apartments made of plaster, concrete, stone and tile. Products that just need to be washed down and rennovated. They would make great housing for the people who make NOLA run (police, fire, teachers, hotels) and close to the downtown area so you can bike, walk or take bus. Muscian's Village is in the Upper 9 close to the river. These areas would not have flooded in the houses except for the failure of the FEDERAL levees. Some flooding is beneficial and is why houses are on piers and we all have white shrimp boots.
by chigh on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:47:53 AM PDT
wide narrow
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