The City of New Orleans participated in HUD’s National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC) and proposed in its application the creation of the city’s first comprehensive resilience district in Gentilly with projects that invest in innovative and creative solutions so that people, culture, and infrastructure can thrive.
A focus on Gentilly presents opportunities to leverage existing projects and investments, to reduce flood risk, and to support the area’s recovery and revitalization. New Orleans was awarded more than $141 million through NDRC to implement elements of the Gentilly Resilience District proposal, building on existing investments in urban water management funded through the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).
The City is working with partners such as the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) and Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) to leverage existing investments in Gentilly and build on the experience of relevant pilot projects—from rain gardens to education programs—throughout the city. The Gentilly Resilience District will be a model for how other neighborhoods in New Orleans, across the region, and across the country, can adapt to thrive in a changing environment.
The following projects and programs currently comprise the Gentilly Resilience District:
Mirabeau Water Garden
A 25-acre site; formerly the convent of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. FEMA dollars used This project will be designed and constructed in two phases to store up to 10 million gallons of stormwater while also serving as a space for recreation and environmental learning.
Pontilly Neighborhood Stormwater Network
Phase I: This HMGP-leveraged stormwater management project is creating a stormwater network with a combination of vacant lots, streets, and alleyways; to capture stormwater and beautify the Pontchartrain Park and Gentilly Woods neighborhoods
Pontilly – Phase II: Dwyer Canal Improvements: Creating a community recreational / social space with park elements to include active & passive programming.
Blue & Green Corridors
A network of multi-modal, strategic corridors comprised of neutral grounds along some of Gentilly’s major thoroughfares. This project is designed to improve water quality via infiltration and slow the release of stormwater while creating safe and comfortable recreational / social spaces.
St. Bernard Neighborhood Campus
Integrated green infrastructure and recreational improvements at McDonogh 35 High School and Willie Hall Playground
St. Anthony Green Streets
Updating the neighborhood land & street scapes and revitalizing project area parks - - Gatto and Filmore, to create a stormwater management network.
Dillard Wetlands
Retrofitting existing marsh lands to capture stormwater from neighboring areas and support biodiversity / wildlife.
Oak Park Green Infrastructure
Creating a network of green infrastructure interventions, on contiguous vacant lots near John F. Kennedy High School in the Gentilly neighborhood of Oak Park – designed to manage stormwater.
For more project specific information, please visit the Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Department Page