Project Overview & Background
The City of New Orleans and Stantec are finalizing the design and preparing to break ground in the St. Bernard Campus area as part of Gentilly's National Disaster Resilience (NDR) Program. Over the past few years, Gentilly residents have directly contributed to the project by sharing their experiences and reports on local flood impacts and infrastructure needs on ISeeChange (ISC), a community data-sharing platform.
The St. Bernard Neighborhood Campus project was originally a $10 million project to improve neighborhood drainage, add green infrastructure and park elements, and rebuild the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission’s (NORDC) Willie Hall Playground facilities. Recently, this community-sourced data combined with additional modeling led to an additional $4 million of infrastructure investment in the neighborhood. Your participation not only counts, it makes a difference!
Development of these new projects will begin in early 2024. Review the latest plans by reading below and by referencing the 90% design meeting presentation and meeting recording. Stantec, the City of New Orleans, and ISeeChange will be hosting community events and information sessions ahead of the construction — if you haven’t already, be sure to sign up on ISeeChange to stay informed.
The New Willie Hall Playground & Underground Stormwater Storage
Pre-Katrina, the Willie Hall Playground and athletic fields were the home to decades of neighborhood youth sports teams and activities. This project marks the long awaited return of Willie Hall Playground to the St. Bernard neighborhood. This will include development of:
- Multi-Purpose Recreation Support Building
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Football/Soccer Field, a Baseball/Softball Field, and a Basketball Court
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Sports and Area Lighting and Bleachers
In addition, this project will serve the enhanced purpose of reducing flooding by storing up to 5 million gallons of stormwater in underground detention basins. Educational water features will be placed along walking trails/paths that meander throughout the project limits. These installations will raise awareness of water’s role in the New Orleans urban environment.
Roadway Repairs and Rain Gardens
Green infrastructure (rain gardens) will be created to improve stormwater management within neighborhood intersections east and southeast of the athletic fields. Please reference the map below for planned locations. FEMA roadway repair funds have been leveraged to integrate rain gardens into the neighborhood’s drainage system and repair street damages in the same areas. In addition, if you live near an intersection designated to receive a rain garden, you can click here to learn more about what rain gardens are and how they work. The ISC team has been meeting with residents in these intersections and are happy to answer questions.
Bayou St. John Access
New Orleans is a city surrounded by water that residents rarely see. The St. Bernard Campus will enhance access to historic Bayou St. John for local residents to enjoy.
Amenities being developed are based off of neighborhood input early in the design phase, and may include:
Get Involved
Community-contributed data on ISeeChange is key to ensuring the stormwater infrastructure will be built in service to community needs. As we see the St. Bernard Campus begin construction, our neighborhood conversation about stewarding our neighborhood continues! The best way to participate is to share photos, videos, and stories of rain, flooding, and infrastructure needs on ISeeChange. Members of the infrastructure team and the city will receive your feedback. After you sign-up, start by telling us…
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What is your favorite person, place, or thing about the St. Bernard neighborhood? Why do you love living here?
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Where are you currently seeing impacts of flooding and puddling in the St.Bernard Campus? How is flooding changing over time in the area? Adopt a specific spot in the neighborhood to help us track change over time.
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If your block is getting a rain garden (map above) — what types of plants and trees would you like to see? Take a look at this list of local species and let us know in your post!
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How does heat impact daily life in the neighborhood or your energy bills? We’ll be hosting a community event to reduce urban heat in our neighborhood.
If you have other questions about the project, or want to learn more about the exciting updates coming to the area, share a question or report on ISeeChange and we will be in touch. By signing up, you will also be kept in the loop on project updates, timelines, and upcoming community feedback events.
How data on ISeeChange be used?
Your data will be used to help inform and provide feedback to the City of New Orleans and Stantec about current experiences around rain and flooding in St. Bernard. It will be critical to assess flooding conditions both during and after the project’s construction in order to track and understand conditions in the area, and measure the impact of the new infrastructure. This data can also help alert the city about any concerns or unexpected outcomes of the project for community members.
Additional Partners
View the Current Fact Sheet
2020 Community Engagement
90% Resilience Design Review Committee Meeting - September 3, 2020
Click this link to view the meeting recording
Click this link to view the meeting presentation
90% Design Virtual Community Update Meeting - August 20, 2020
Click this link to view the meeting recording
Click this link to view the 90% design community update presentation
2019 Community Engagement
60% Resilience Design Review Committee (RDRC) meeting - December 2019
Click the link to view the full presentation
2018 Community Engagement
Dillard university 12th annual housing, health and Community resources Fair - October 20
Night Out Against Crime - October 16
Gentilly Fest - October 13-14
Community Day - september 25
Pre-Design Planning Workshop - Wednesday, July 11
Contact Us
For more infomation on the St. Bernard Neighborhood Campus project, please contact:
Office: (504) 658-7623
Email: roadwork@nola.gov
Follow us:
#StBernardNeighborhoodResilience