NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell today joined other officials to mark the demotion of Cindy Place, an abandoned four-building apartment complex in New Orleans East that has been a magnet for a range of criminal activities for many years.
“This is progress in the heart of New Orleans East and at a location that has been an armpit in this community for a mighty long time. And it’s one that, as I came into office, I had as a priority to deal with. Blight eradication remains a priority for the City,” said Mayor Cantrell.
[WATCH: Mayor Cantrell discusses Cindy Place, blight reduction]
“The Mayor made this commitment early on. We got this done because she wanted to get this done for District E,” said Winston H. Reid, Director, Code Enforcement. “Our thinking is not in a vacuum. We’re doing this by leveraging other resources. There was a lot of illegal dumping out here, and so we partnered with other City agencies to remove this and do this in a comprehensive fashion.”
“We need to put a stop to this, but we are going to work together. I’m extremely grateful for the partnership with this administration being at the forefront in addressing beautification and eradicating illegal dumping in areas that really need to get addressed so we can move this district forward,” said Cyndi Nguyen, City Councilmember, District E.
For years, Cindy Place has been cited for activities such as drug sales, prostitution and illegal dumping that have adversely impacted the quality of life in the area. Along with this demolition, there will be a comprehensive cleanup within the immediate area. The City sees these efforts as not only stabilizing the area but also priming it for potential redevelopment for affordable housing units.
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