In this issue:

*"Faking Groceries" Featured on WGNO-TV
*The Mix of Business and Residential
*Upcoming Events-
Rally To Oppose Privatization of S&WB February 28
Vote On March 2
*Quick News and Views
*Pass This E-mail Along
*Grab A Shirt Before They're Gone!

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"FAKING GROCERIES" ON WGNO-TV

On Wednesday, The Urban Conservancy was interviewed for a WGNO-TV piece on
the stalled Albertson's development in Central City. The Urban Conservancy
was featured discussing the affects of the embattled Wal-Mart on Albertson's
planned development in Central City. Additionally, The Urban Conservancy
described the lost business opportunities of choosing a suburban development
for an urban environment along with the destruction of a struggling
neighborhood.

With the release of Faking Groceries, the Urban Conservancy documents the
stalled Albertson's development in Central City and the lessons it can
provide New Orleans as it weighs the Wal-Mart component of the St.
Thomas Redevelopment.

The complete report can be found at the Urban Conservancy web site:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/reports/FG.pdf

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THE MIX OF BUSINESS AND RESIDENTIAL

Genuine urban neighborhoods are a patchwork of diverse uses. Residential,
commercial and light industrial uses often coexist in the span of a couple
of blocks - or in the same block. This is what makes our city vibrant. This
article from the Times-Picayune is a nice reminder of what we can lose if
we begin using suburban notions of zoning and use-separation to purify our
"residential" areas. Urban is messy - and tasty - and fun!

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/neworleans/index.ssf?/newsstory/o_pies27.html

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UPCOMING EVENTS

February 28
Rally To Oppose Privatization of S&WB
City Hall Steps, 12 NOON

For more info:
http://mojono.com/privatization/

SPONSOR: NEW ORLEANIANS AGAINST PRIVATIZATION
FOR MORE INFO CALL 314-6218 OR 587-0080

March 2
Vote!

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QUICK NEWS AND VIEWS

Sprawl Buster decries "blot on communities" in Atlanta
(thanks for the article Charlie!):
http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/atlanta_jc022101.html

S&WB panel cancels bid-review session:
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/neworleans/index.ssf?/newsstory/o_water26.html

Spring 2002 Conference on Environmental Law, Science and the Public Interest
hosted by the Tulane Institute for Environmental Law and Policy and the
Tulane Environmental Law Society:
http://www.law.tulane.edu/cdo/index.cfm?d=inst&main=env2002.htm

Genuine urban neighborhoods are a patchwork of diverse uses. Residential,
commercial and light industrial uses often coexist in the span of a couple
of blocks - or in the same block. This is what makes our city vibrant. This
article from the Times-Picayune is a nice reminder of what we can lose if
we begin using suburban notions of zoning and use-separation to purify our
"residential" areas. Urban is messy - and tasty - and fun!
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/neworleans/index.ssf?/newsstory/o_pies27.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 and what your interests are. 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

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GOT A SHIRT?

They're back in stock and still a bargain at $10. Check them out here:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/tshirt.htm

Got Neighborhoods? T-shirts are now available at these fine local
retailers:

Big Life Toys For Little Kids 5430 Magazine Street 504-899-8697
Big Life Toys For Big Kids 3117 Magazine Street 504-895-8695
Winky's 2038 Magazine St. 504-568-1020

Shades of Light 2112 Magazine St. 504-524-6500

Funky Monkey 3127 Magazine St. 504-899-5587

Or send an email to [email protected] to order one today! If
we're feeling saucy, we might even personally deliver it to you!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edward Melendez
Geoff Coats
Principals

The Urban Conservancy
http://www.urbanconservancy.org

In this issue:

*KPMG Declines Audit of Troubled Wal-Mart Financing
*Upcoming Events-February 26, March 2
*Quick News and Views
*Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization Program
*Pass This E-mail Along
*Grab A Shirt Before They're Gone!

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KPMG DECLINES AUDIT OF TROUBLED PROJECT FINANCING

The City Council was notified on Thursday that KPMG LLC declined to perform the
audit of the financing for the troubled Wal-Mart project. Citing the extensive
amount of work the firm had done in the past for Wal-Mart, KPMG representatives
were concerned about a perception of conflict of interest in the eyes of the
public.

TAKE ACTION
Remind the City Budget Committee that a project of this importance requires
a thorough and more standardized bid process:
http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/form6.html

KPMG deserves praise for choosing to avoid a conflict of interest in the review of
the embattled project. However, the City Budget Committee is now faced with the task
of choosing a new auditor for the project. With only two other responses to their
Request For Qualifications (RBC Dain of Minneapolis and Metairie based Laporte, Sehrt)
and an impossibly short deadline for responses, it is clear that the committee needs to
issue a new and RFQ and adjust many of their timetables.
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UPCOMING EVENTS

February 26
Gridlock: A Forum On Regional Transport and Sustainable Development
Tuesday, February 26, 7:00 PM
Freeman Auditorium, Woldenberg Art Center, Tulane University

March 2
Vote!

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QUICK NEWS AND VIEWS

"At the end of 2000, the last reckoning available, Wal-Mart had 43 stores,
37 Supercenters and 11 Sam�s Clubs in Louisiana."

Baton Rouge Area Community Fights Wal-Mart:
http://www.theadvocate.com/news/story.asp?storyid=27878

Small Grocers Take On Super Centers With Service, Products:
http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/niche_grocery.html

Middle Class Wal-Mart Warriors Win:
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20020304&s=hightower

How does the conservation of open spaces and farmland affect healthy cities?
Environmental Groups Score LA Congress Members:
http://www.capwiz.com/lcv/dbq/officials/?command=results&sort=District&state=LA&submit.x=14&submit.y=13

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NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL REVITALIZATION PROGRAM

In an effort to revitalize commercial activity in declining business districts,
the Mayor's office has partnered with the Regional Loan Corporation (RLC) to
offer business loans and consulting to businesses in areas designated as
commercial areas in need of new business. The designated areas include many areas
in the city, including New Orleans East, Central City, Uptown, Faubourg Marigny and
Bywater.

http://www.rlcsbidco.com/index.htm and click on the "NCR" link.

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

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 and what your interests are. 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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOT A SHIRT?

They're back in stock and still a bargain at $10. Check them out here:

http://www.urbanconservancy.org/walmart/tshirt.htm

Got Neighborhoods? T-shirts are now available at these fine local
retailers:

Big Life Toys For Little Kids 5430 Magazine Street 504-899-8697
Big Life Toys For Big Kids 3117 Magazine Street 504-895-8695
Winky's 2038 Magazine St. 504-568-1020

Shades of Light 2112 Magazine St. 504-524-6500

Funky Monkey 3127 Magazine St. 504-899-5587

Or send an email to [email protected] to order one today! If
we're feeling saucy, we might even personally deliver it to you!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edward Melendez
Geoff Coats
Principals

Urban Conservancy
http://www.urbanconservancy.org

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:

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."