Pre-Development Conference

How to Request a Pre-Development Conference 


OBES Pre-Development Conferences may be scheduled by:

  • A member of the Office of Economic Development who is exploring project feasibility with a potential business,
  • Safety & Permits, City Planning Commission, Historic District Landmarks Commission, Vieux Carré Commission, or OBES staff who believe that a project is sufficiently complex that, after an initial inquiry, the project would benefit from a unified approach to reviews from all city departments,
  • A potential project being discussed by a council office who would like to provide additional guidance regarding viability, or
  • Projects being considered by the Industrial Development Board which may still have unidentified timeline and cost issues prior to approval.

Member Responsibilities:

  • Explain the City ordinances and processes pertinent to each project, and any rules and regulations adopted by the department being represented,
  • Provide applications, websites and other resources that the developer may wish to consider using while finalizing plans, and
  • Identify projects that should be discussed at Development Working Group Meetings in order to maximize local economic impact through employment opportunities, resilient infrastructure, and community benefit.

Developer Responsibilities:

  • Attend the scheduled meeting along with anyone in the following possibly pertinent roles: The property owner or owner’s representative, developers, contractors, engineers, surveyors, architects, etc.
  • Provide as part of a the request for a OBES Pre-Development Conference:
    • A site plan / conceptual site plan and survey (If available, please bring architectural plans, surveys, and utility plan)
    • List of people who will attend the meeting and their responsibilities in the development.
    • List of any particular questions and topics that the requestor would like to have addressed.
    • Written description of the proposed project.
    • Submit information electronically or hard copy to Sabrina Hill, smhill@nola.gov.

Leadership

Jeffrey Schwartz, Director of Economic Development

Scheduler

Online Scheduling Managed by Sabrina Hill (smhill@nola.gov), (504) 658-8458

Location

Office of Business and External Services, 1340 Poydras Street, 10th Floor, Large Conference

Required Attendees

  • Safety and Permits
  • Historic District Landmarks Commission
  • Vieux Carré Commission
  • City Planning Commission
  • Economic Development
  • OBES Special Projects Director

Optional Attendees

  • Department of Property Management 
  • Cultural Economy
  • Department of Public Works
  • Neighborhood Engagement
  • Office of Community Development
  • Department of Parks and Parkways
  • New Orleans Business Alliance
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