*Urban Conservancy Biweekly Update*
January 28, 2002

In this issue:

*City Budget Committee Defers Selection On Independent Audit
*Mayoral Candidates On Wal-Mart, BGR's "Challenge For A New Mayor"
*New Ideas-Beyond Bourbon Street
*Quick News and Views
*Volunteers Needed

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CITY COUNCIL BUDGET COMMITTEE DEFERS SELECTION ON INDEPENDENT AUDITOR

The City Council Budget Committee met on January 24 to discuss the financing piece
of the embattled Wal-Mart component of the community supported St. Thomas
redevelopment. Councilmember Gusman used the meeting as an opportunity to
frame the scope of questions asked by the committee. Gusman said those questions
include "who is putting in what, what is the economic impact to the surrounding
area, is it good or bad, what are the other sources of tax revenue, and what
are the risks?" The Budget Committee hopes to hold a special meeting on February 5
to select an auditor of the troubled project. Read more at:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/city_budget.html

The Urban Conservancy also released a position on the audit at the request of
Councilmember Gusman:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/UC_Position_analysis.html

In the position paper, the Urban Conservancy stressed some of the key points
that should be studied by any financial audit:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/UC_Key_points.html

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MAYORAL CANDIDATES ON WAL-MART, BGR'S "CHALLENGE FOR A NEW MAYOR"

The candidates for mayor give their opinions on the proposed Wal-Mart and
the St. Thomas Redevelopment. Additionally, the Urban Conservancy lists
who signed (and who didn't) the Bureau Of Governmental Research's "Challenge
For A New Mayor," a proposal for reforming the city's bid process to eliminate
patronage. See the complete report at:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/letters/mayor/mayor_candidates.html

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BEYOND BOURBON ST: BUILDING GROWTH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY

The Urban Conservancy announces the launch of its latest project --
Beyond Bourbon St: Building Growth in Partnership with the Community.
The Urban Conservancy is partnering with Tulane University's service-learning
program to document examples of positive commercial and residential infill
and adaptive use in New Orleans. This documentation will form the basis of a
presentation designed to help neighborhood organizations, civic leaders, and
developers understand the range of possibilities for economic development
compatible with our historic neighborhoods. This exciting project will move
our community away from fruitless and unnecessary fights and towards healthy
models of commercial and residential construction that provide economic
development while nurturing and sustaining our unique neighborhoods. You can
help The Urban Conservancy celebrate the good things already going on
around New Orleans. Please send your tax-deductible contribution to:

The Urban Conservancy
920 Spain St.
New Orleans, LA 70117

PS-Thanks to all those who donated the first week!!!!

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QUICK NEWS AND VIEWS

City Council Overrides City Preservation Agency, Plans to Override City
Planning Commission:
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/neworleans/index.ssf?/newsstory/o_council23.html

How can we create a zoning plan that unifies City Government?
Mandelker, From His January 14th Presentation (Adobe Acrobat):
http://www.urbanconservancy.org/tools/Mandelker_Report.pdf

Is New Orleans For People Or Automobiles?
http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/borah_012101.html

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UC IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS

The Urban Conservancy is seeking persuasive writers, committed artists and
just plain passionate people to assist in the Wal-Mart campaign and other
projects in the near future. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to
[email protected]

with your name and phone number. If you have already committed, you will
be contacted soon!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PASS THIS ALONG TO A FRIEND

The Urban Conservancy depends on word of mouth to help us grow and
educate. Please forward this mail to someone who loves New Orleans. Or
they can sign up for their own copy at:
http://www.urbanconservancy.org/mailman/listinfo/uc

------------------------------------------------------------------

EM
Edward Melendez
Principal
Urban Conservancy
http://www.urbanconservancy.org

If you assume that there's no hope, you guarantee there will be no hope. If you assume that there is
an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities to change things.
-Noam Chomsky

posted by Edward Melendez 10:40 PM

. . .

*Urban Conservancy Biweekly Update*
January 21, 2002

In this issue:

*More Than English Turn?? Urban Conservancy Release Developer's Building Costs
*Take Action-Send A Message To The City Council Budget Committee
*Upcoming Dates: January 24, 2002 City Budget Committee Meets To Award Contract For Independent Analysis
*Good Ideas-Urban Conservancy Launches "Building Growth in Partnership with the Community"
*Quick News and Views
*Volunteers Needed

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MORE THAN ENGLISH TURN???

An analysis of building costs presented by the developer to the City Planning
Commission shows costs higher than the average costs for new homes built in
English Turn, one of New Orleans' most exclusive communities. "A quick glance at
the new homes section of your newspaper or the web site englishturn.com will
confirm those numbers," said Edward Melendez, a principal of the Urban
Conservancy. "If a bank loan committee were reviewing this project, would it
pass muster?" Read the complete press release at:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/press_release012102.html

Read the analysis, which was shared with the developer HRI before its
public release:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/HRI_costs012001.html

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TAKE ACTION-CITY COUNCIL BUDGET COMMITTEE TO CHOOSE AUDITOR

An independent, outside analysis is required of this complex project.
Unfortunately, only $14 thousand has been allocated for an audit of a
project worth $322 million with long term effects to local property taxes
and a diversion of sales taxes for up to 20 years. Urge Councilmember
Thomas and Budget Committee to use an independent, outside auditor:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/form4.html

------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEYOND BOURBON ST: BUILDING GROWTH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY

The Urban Conservancy announces the launch of its latest project --
Beyond Bourbon St.: Building Growth in Partnership with the Community.

The Urban Conservancy is partnering with talented students enrolled in Tulane
University's service-learning program to document examples of positive commercial
and residential infill and adaptive use in New Orleans. This documentation will
form the basis of a presentation designed to help neighborhood organizations, civic
leaders, and developers understand the range of possibilities for economic
development compatible with our historic neighborhoods.

This exciting project will move our community away from fruitless and unnecessary
fights and towards healthy models of commercial and residential construction that
provide economic development while nurturing and sustaining our unique neighborhoods.

You can help The Urban Conservancy celebrate the good things already going on
around New Orleans. Please send your tax-deductible contribution to:

The Urban Conservancy
920 Spain St.
New Orleans, La 70117

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

QUICK NEWS AND VIEWS

Covington Resident Says Wal-Mart Good For Our Region:
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/newsstory/williamson21.html

New Orleans Resident Says Our Region Has Enough Wal-Marts:
http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/wieseletter012102.html

City Budget Committee Meets January 24, Action Needed:
http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/form4.html

Wal-Mart pays $85,000 For "Grass Roots" Support in Arizona:
http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/mesa_tribune011702.html

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UC IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS

The Urban Conservancy is seeking persuasive writers, committed artists and
just plain passionate people to assist in the Wal-Mart campaign and other
projects in the near future. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to
[email protected] with your name and phone number. If you
have already committed, you will be contacted soon.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PASS THIS ALONG TO A FRIEND

The Urban Conservancy depends on word of mouth to help us grow and
educate. Please forward this mail to someone who loves New Orleans. Or
they can sign up for their own copy at:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/mailman/listinfo/uc

------------------------------------------------------------------

EM
Edward Melendez
Principal
Urban Conservancy
http://www.urbanconservancy.org
If you assume that there's no hope, you guarantee there will be no hope. If you assume that there is
an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities to change things.
-Noam Chomsky

posted by Edward Melendez 10:41 PM

. . .

In a small victory for opponents of a Wal-Mart proposed for the historic Garden District of New Orleans, the New Orleans City Council voted on Friday to accept the provisions of the New Orleans City Planning Commission's approval of the Wal-Mart with a number of stipulations which Wal-Mart representatives described as "deal breakers." The City Planning Council's provisions were not in opposition to the proposed Wal-Mart, but were meant to enforce the City's existing, "big box" ordinances, which limited the size of parking areas, and addressed traffic and aesthetic concerns. Wal-Mart representatives had summarily rejected the provisions. This decision by the City Council, after a marathon 10 hour session of testimony on both sides of the issue, effectively negated the opinion of a hastily assembled "blue-ribbon committee" made up of business and civic representatives that had suggested that the City Council overrule the City Planning Commission.

The Wal-Mart is not simply an issue of suburban sprawl versus preservation of historic neighborhoods. City and State officials are being asked to create a special financing district, where most of the sales tax generated by Wal-Mart would be funnelled to cover investments from the development company. The proposed Wal-Mart is central to the financing of the developer, Historic Restoration Incorporated, who demolished public housing on the land and now requires funding from the sales tax diversion plan in order to cover a shortfall in a component of the project, namely the luxury condominiums that have to built on the land as part of a "mixed income community" in order to utilize the federal funds to rebuild the low income housing.

Critics charge that in addition to creating suburban sprawl in a traditionally urban, historic and pedestrian friendly city, the tax financing program amounts to "corporate welfare" that benefits the developer and Wal-Mart, who would benefit from lower property taxes as part of the agreement. Critics charge that the Wal-Mart will siphon off business from the surrounding area and thus actually reduce the revenue available to the city in the long run. Both sides have claimed that the surrounding business community supports their position, but in a publicly distributed letter Barry Schlaile, president of the Historic Magazine Row Association, a group of businesses in the affected area stated "you can imagine my shock to learn that Wal-Mart's property tax rate is 64% lower than what I am currently paying for my commercial building on Magazine Street."

The opponents of the Wal-Mart strongly urged the rebuilding of the public housing, but without the Wal-Mart. In previous meetings, claims of racism were made by the developer and others, who wished to paint the issue as one of "extreme preservationists versus the poor." Proponents of the proposed Wal-Mart included the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, who urged the dismissal of the City Planning Council's recommendations to show that "New Orleans is open for business," in the words of Entergy President and CEO Dan Packer. The Housing Authority Of New Orleans (HANO), the local organization responsible for public housing, also supports the Wal-Mart even though HANO Director Benjamin Bell acknowledged that is was a mistake to destroy public housing until funding had been secured. City Councilmembers have acknowledged the shortfall in funding, but one of the Councilmembers took issue at the developer's projected costs of $170 per square foot for the public housing, noting that he has a home under construction, and "it didn't cost $170 a square foot."

The members of the New Orleans City Council, all of whom are either seeking re-election or election to new positions within city government are clearly concerned about the level of controversy the issue has created, clearly one of the biggest issues in recent New Orleans history. Critics of the council have charged that many decisions are worked out behind the scenes, with Councilmembers following the lead of the Councilmember who has the affected district. However, these types of alliances are not expected to hold in the face of hotly contested local elections and charges of patronage due to donations made to the campaign of Councilmember Oliver Thomas, whose district would have the proposed Wal-Mart.

posted by Edward Melendez 7:13 PM

. . .

Proposed Wal-Mart in New Orleans Makes National News:

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20020104/us/wal_mart_new_orleans_1.html

posted by Edward Melendez 1:57 PM

. . .

City Council Supports City Planning Commission:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/city_council010302.html

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that a $6.8 million consent decree with retail giant Wal-Mart Stores was signed on December 17 by a Federal District Court Judgein Sacramento, Calif. The decree resolves the EEOC's lawsuit, which alleged that Wal-Mart's pre-employment questionnaire, "Matrix of Essential Job Functions," violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Parties to the decree also have agreed to settle 12 other ADA lawsuits filed against Wal-Mart in 11 states.

Wal-Mart/EEOC Settlement claims center:
http://www.eeocvwalmart.com/

posted by Edward Melendez 7:34 AM

. . .

Multinational Monitor (founded by Ralph Nader) has just published its list of
the "Ten Worst Corporations of 2001." They are:
* Abbott Laboratories
* Argenbright
* Bayer
* Coke
* Enron
* Exxon Mobil
* Philip Morris
* Sara Lee
* Southern Co.
* Wal-Mart

For all the details see the Multinational Monitor on-line at:

http://www.essential.org/monitor/

Or jump directly to the article at:

http://63.111.165.25/01december/dec01corp1.html

posted by Edward Melendez 1:15 PM

. . .