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Working Paper 5 BioDistrict New Orleans Visioning December 2010

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Table of Contents

December 2010

Table of Contents

Section:

01 Task 5 Overview 07 Purpose of the Visioning Workshops 07 Format of the Visioning Workshops

02 Visioning Workshop Findings 11 Workforce Development Workshop Findings 13 Community Benefits Agreement Workshop Findings 14 Community Visioning Workshop Findings

03 Vision Statement 19 BioDistrict Vision Statement

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04 Appendix A Sign-In Sheets

Acknowledgement The AECOM team would like to acknowledge the GNOBEDD Board and staff for their input and engagement during this Task. This report has also been developed in coordination with the entire AECOM team. The team includes: EDAW / AECOM, AECOM Economics, AECOM Transportation, Bright Moments, Cannon Design, CBRE, Chester Engineers and The Ehrhardt Group.

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Table of Contents

December 2010

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Section 01: Task 5 Overview: Visioning Workshops

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Task 5 Overview

December 2010

BioDistrict New Orleans. The Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans Arena and key existing and proposed institutional developments are shown in blue.

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Task 5 Overview: Visioning Workshops Purpose of the Visioning Workshops The purpose of Task 5, Visioning the Future, was to work with community stakeholders to develop a long term vision of what BioDistrict New Orleans can become over the next 20 years. During the Week of September 13th, four visioning sessions were held with over 150 stakeholders to look at possible futures for the BioDistrict, while considering: (1) changing needs and relationships; (2) changing employment and needs in training; (3) changing technology; and (4) operational and functional efficiencies. Dates, times and locations of the various meetings are provided below. •

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BioDistrict; the purpose of the BioDistrict Plan and where we are to date in the planning process; and a summary of the actions and findings from the first four tasks of the project which comprised Phase 1 (Stakeholder Interviews, Data Gathering, Inventory and Analysis, and Programming). For both the Workforce Development and CBA Visioning Workshops, the AECOM Team developed specific questions that were tailored to each of the two groups to focus the discussion on topics specifically related to education/training and CBAs, respectively. Questions asked and discussion summary notes for these two sessions are found in Section 2.

For the Community Visioning Workshops, round table breakout sessions were envisioned. However, given the poor space layout for Workshop #1, breakout sessions were not conducted. Rather a town hall type forum was September 14, 2010, 6-8 pm, Community Visioning held with community stakeholders. The community noted Workshop #1, Tulane University, Diboll Auditorium, that the venue was not conducive to interactive dialogue 1440 Canal Street with the AECOM planning team, which the planning team September 15, 2010, 6-8 pm, Community Benefits acknowledged. For all future meetings, the planning team has taken extra care to ensure that venues with fixed Agreement (CBA) Workshop, New Orleans seating are not used in public forums. BioInnovation Center, 134 LaSalle Street September 14, 2010, 2-4 pm, Workforce Development Workshop, United Way Building, 2515 Canal Street

September 16, 2010, 6-8 pm, Community Visioning For the second Community Visioning Workshop, the space Workshop #2, Xavier University Center, Grand allowed for the visioning breakout sessions to occur as Ballroom, 1 Drexel Drive originally planned. The breakout sessions lasted just over an hour and consisted of round-robin introductions, Stakeholder sign-in sheets can be found in Appendix A. discussions on a variety of topic areas, and report out to the larger stakeholder group of the table’s findings Format of the Visioning Workshops by a team spokesperson. Findings from the Community Visioning Workshops are found in Section 2. During each of the Visioning Workshops the following topics were discussed: the background on BioDistrict New Orleans, including the history of the organization, how it was formed and its mission; a definition of the term biosciences and how it directly applies to the

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Task 5 Overview

December 2010

Stakeholder discussion during the Workforce Development Visioning Workshop.

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Section 02: Visioning Workshop Findings

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Workshop Findings

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Stakeholders participate during one of the community visioning workshops.

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Visioning Workshop Findings Workforce Development Visioning Workshop Findings

science high school programs be established at such schools as Warren Easton? •

The AECOM Team had an excellent discussion with the stakeholders participating in the Workforce Development Visioning Workshop. To help spur the discussion, the AECOM Team posed the questions below based on the fact that over 22,000 bioscience related/spin-off jobs are estimated to be created by 2030, not including construction and non-direct job creation. •

Are we ready today for the BioDistrict jobs that will become available in 2014? If not, what will it take to make us ready?

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How do we connect BioDistrict, City and Parish residents with these jobs?

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Do we have a comprehensive, collaborative Placement Program? If not, how do we create one?

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Are our higher education institutions adequately educating New Orleanians for the types of jobs available in the future?

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Do we have the right mix of programs to train residents? If not, how do we create a comprehensive, coordinated menu of “programs”?

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What would better prepare New Orleans to compete in the 21st Century?

The success of the BioDistrict is in part dependent on the State not reducing funding for research. • Research funding gaps should be met through a dedicated fund (e.g. part of an endowment), so researchers are not dependent on consistent grant funding. • Millions in new taxes could be generated if the bioscience industry and other research areas are supported. However, this may require some seed funding

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Community college programs with focus on LPN not RN slanted towards clinical trials.

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Education institutions need to respond to employers’ needs so that graduates can be appropriately trained to meet the requirements of jobs available in the BioDistrict.

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There are currently not enough testing centers in New Orleans to allow students to take the G.E.D. exam. Most travel out of state, primarily Mississippi, to sit for the exam. Funding the establishment of such a facility in New Orleans should be a top priority.

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There should be no “cannibalism” of trained students/workers by institutions.

Workforce / Jobs Training: The following is a summary of the key points generated during the workshop discussion.

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Training should be focused on excellence in multiple areas.

Education:

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If projects came online today, there could be a workforce capacity gap requiring the importation of workers from outside of the BioDistrict, region or state. There is therefore a strong need to help grow the existing workforce, especially mid-level workers.

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Some training programs already exist or are in the

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Students coming out of public school need to be successful. Can there be a “pipeline” or career pathway created so that they can get jobs or internships in the BioDistrict upon graduation or during summer breaks? Can strong math and

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Workshop Findings

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process of being created. Recruitment programs should also be established to help meet the need. •

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Need collaboration and partnership among workforce training organizations to make it easy for job seekers to understand the types of jobs available and get the training they require. The current workforce development system is dysfunctional with little communication between businesses, institutions, schools, job centers, or economic development organizations. In order to effectively place job candidates the workforce needs to match industry needs to acquire accurate information on the timing of projects; and to create and maintain a centralized site listing job opportunities. The latter could be provided on the BioDistrict New Orleans website.

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Information sharing is critical in order to prepare the workforce for the types of jobs that are going to be created. The Healthcare Sector Coordinator for the region does not have information regarding the number and types of jobs being created by the VA and UMC hospitals.

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There may be a need for an ombudsman for jobs/ workforce training for the BioDistrict.

regarding the BioDistrict, the biosciences and what the potential jobs are that will be needed in the district.

Other General Comments: •

The BioDistrict should not be too narrow in focus and should look beyond healthcare. One field has the opportunity to spin-off into 10 different fields.

Action Items: •

Create a Unified Task Force to Create an ongoing Comprehensive Workforce Development Strategy

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Establish a G.E.D testing center in New Orleans

Community Benefits Agreement Visioning

Community Engagement: •

Improve messaging to provide a clear and consistent message of what the BioDistrict is and what it means to the community. This will encourage community buy-in and support.

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The evolution of the BioDistrict is a dynamic, long-term process. It will take time for everyone to see the benefits of the district. BioDistrict New Orleans needs stakeholder support and buy-in.

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Offer more public involvement and education opportunities beyond public forums.

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There needs to be strong community education

Sample notes taken during the Workforce Development Visioning Workshop.

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Workshop Findings As part of the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) Workshop, the AECOM Team reviewed the following aspects of CBAs: what CBAs are, how they are created, how they are best negotiated, how they are monitored, their benefits and drawbacks, and the types of community benefits that can be included.

residents living and working within the BioDistrict.

Ongoing Education Regarding CBAs: •

Education is required both before and after a CBA is implemented

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Clarify the role of the BioDistrict in the creation of CBAs

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Community needs to understand that CBAs are a contract between Mid-City and/or Gert Town and potential Developers, not BioDistrict New Orleans.

The Planning Team then asked the following questions of the Workshop participants: •

What type/size project triggers a CBA?

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What types of immediate and long-range benefits do communities want?

BioDistrict New Orleans can help advocate for a community in the right forums.

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What types of incentives can be offered to developers?

Implementation of a CBA should not be a tax burden to residents in the BioDistrict

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What are the appropriate groups/agencies to monitor BioDistrict CBAs?

BioDistrict New Orleans stated that it has a draft budget for helping to work on a CBA

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Should “benefits” be limited to BioDistrict neighborhood residents & businesses?

Need to define the criterion where CBAs could be used including size and/or type of project

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How do we ensure that CBAs do not deter development?

Need to identify who is organizing the community to enter into a CBA.

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What would a CBA between a Government entity (state) and Community Groups look like?

BioDistrict New Orleans does not need to be involved in all CBAs in the BioDistrict.

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In order to begin the CBA process, the community should:

• • • • •

The following is a summary of the key points, questions and comments generated during the workshop discussion.

1.

Realize that it can be difficult for developers to start the conversation with the community;

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Have a draft document in hand before meeting with a developer; and,

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Be realistic in the “asks” of the developer.

Benefits to the Community: •

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CBAs enable the community to be part of the economic development within the BioDistrict and spurs investment in the intellectual capital of those living within the district. Community needs to advocate for CBAs as they can provide critical benefits to community

Potential Opportunities for CBAs: •

For the VA Hospital project, it’s likely too late for a CBA to be negotiated. However, there may be an opportunity with UMC and the Charity Hospital rehabilitation, but this requires getting the right

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Workshop Findings

players at the table now.

December 2010

Community Visioning Workshop 1 and 2 Findings

Communication with the Community: Prior to the onset of the visioning process, the AECOM Team established that success of the BioDistrict is dependent upon success in these four core areas:

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Need ongoing clear communication with the community, so that the process to begin drafting a CBA starts on the right foot

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There is currently little trust within the community regarding current and future development.

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Economic Development

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Jobs and Training

The community is also not convinced of the employer numbers and quality of jobs provided by the future VA and UMC hospitals and other biotech related developments.

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Community Building

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Civic Leadership

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Action Items: •

Create a CBA Task Force.

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Facilitate Development of CBAs for the BioDistrict.

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Help identify appropriate people in community for developers to speak with.

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Develop a slide show to educate the community about CBAs and where they have been successfully used (e.g. Best Practices).

Under the guise of these four themes, feedback from the community was solicited on the following topics: •

Jobs

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Education

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Housing & Neighborhoods

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Community Serving Facilities

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Character & Identity

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Parks & Recreation

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Traffic, Parking, Walking and Transit

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Community Engagement

By collecting and sharing diverse input from key stakeholders during the workshops, the AECOM Team was able to (1) align common themes into guiding principles and (2) identify BioDistrict specific infrastructure actions and outcomes. These are found below.

Jobs:

Stakeholder discussion during the Community Benefits Agreements Visioning Workshop.

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Prioritize hiring for those living in and adjacent to the BioDistrict

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Use local labor and contractors for rebuilding efforts

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Need jobs in a variety of areas (medical,digital media, construction, other community serving industries)

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Need to have training that matches the types of jobs that will be here

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Need high paying jobs in order to meet basic living costs (rent is very expensive)

into the planning and development process (e.g. green roofs, permeable pavers, stormwater management techniques) •

Reuse existing buildings where feasible. What are the options for the reuse of the Charity Hospital complex? Can it be reused as a private hospital and if not, what are the other potential uses that could be incorporated into the building, so that the building can be saved and the downtown core can be strengthened?

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Focus new development in downtown area

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Preserve historic character of the neighborhoods

Education: •

Rebuild schools closed due to storm

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Create an “education pipeline” – career pathway for children and adults

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Establish after school programs focused on math & science

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Create opportunities for lifelong learning (continuing adult education programs)

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Establish summer school programs, internships and other enrichment programs for children

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Educational Institutions should respond to employer’s needs (i.e. provide training for available jobs)

Housing & Neighborhoods: •

Housing is too expensive – Affordable housing is needed

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Encourage mixed-use buildings along Tulane Avenue & Earhart Boulevard and neighborhood commercial/small businesses along Canal Street

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Residential areas of Mid-City and Gert Town should not be impacted without input from residents. Should the BioDistrict include these residential areas? Some residents would like to see the district boundaries redrawn to remove these areas from the BioDistrict.

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Help protect residents from being priced-out of their neighborhoods

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Blight and drainage are serious issues

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Incorporate green building and design techniques

Community Serving Facilities: The following facilities are desired in the BioDistrict: •

Grocery (improved access to healthy foods)

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Library (larger and with better resources than what currently exists)

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Community Center (a safe place for kids to hang out)

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More retail opportunities

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Church to serve the Gert Town area

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Movie theater (The Theatre at Canal Place is one venue, but other national chain movie theatres don’t exist directly in the BioDistrict)

Character & Identity: •

“Nodes” of activity (retail, entertainment, etc) should be located every 6-8 blocks.

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Develop flexible design guidelines that reflect the character of New Orleans “(We don’t want to be Miami or St. Louis”)

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The BioDistrict should be safe, walkable, bikable with a vibrant streetscape

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Street and Pedestrian lighting needs to be improved

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Find opportunities to reflect the cultural history of the BioDistrict

and meeting notices to the community (internet, mail, door hangers, yard signs, etc.)

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Encourage taller buildings in specific areas to encourage more green space.

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Provide different ways for the community to give feedback to BioDistrict New Orleans

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Pursue LEED Neighborhood Development (ND) certification or incorporate strong sustainability practices for new and renovation projects within the BioDistrict.

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Encourage participation from small businesses as well as residents

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Encourage the use of Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) to help ensure that new developments in the BioDistrict “give back” to the community

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Engage with the City on their Place-Based Planning efforts.

Parks & Recreation: •

Increase access to parks and open space

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Desired park features: o

Water features

o

More playgrounds

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Basketball courts

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Pool to replace closed Gert Town Pool

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Paid staff to oversee recreation areas

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Variety of activities for kids

Action Items: Several action items emerged from the visioning session with the community. These are to: •

Establish Ongoing Dialogue with Community and Stakeholder Groups

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Commitment to Provide Better Notification of Future Public Meetings

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Present findings from Visioning Workshops at Future Public Meetings

Traffic, Parking, Walking, Transit: •

Improved bus service is needed especially in the Gert Town area

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Limit the amount of surface parking that is developed in the future

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Encourage development of a streetcar on Tulane Ave

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Streets and sidewalks need to be repaired

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I-10 needs to be redesigned to unite neighborhoods

BioDistrict New Orleans and the AECOM Planning Team are committed to meeting each of these action items.

Community Engagement: •

Ensure an inclusive and transparent planning process with the community

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Use various techniques to communicate updates

Stakeholder discussion during the Community Visioning Workshop.

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Section 03: BioDistrict Vision Statement

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Vision Statement

December 2010

In 2030, BioDistrict New Orleans is a thriving cultural, business, science and health destination, regarded throughout the city as a district of choice: a walkable community with excellent schools and services, vibrant commercial areas, rich historic neighborhoods, and accessible open space and transit. A mix of existing, new and affordable single-family and higher-density housing retains and attracts a diverse community, including many institutional faculty and staff who choose to live and work in the BioDistrict. The presence of excellent colleges, universities and hospitals is leveraged into resources for improving the area: technical assistance for job training and small businesses; institutional research translated into successful businesses; improved K-12 schools; and supporting families living in the BioDistrict.

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BioDistrict Vision Statement Based on the hundreds of comments made during the visioning workshops around each of the eight topic areas, as well as general comments about the project, the AECOM Team has identified the following goals for BioDistrict New Orleans: •

Training for and Creation of JOBS

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First-Rate Schools

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Protect, Strengthen Neighborhood Character and Quality

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Vibrant, Community Serving Business and Retail

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New and Renovated Sustainable Developments

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Safe, Attractive, Walkable Neighborhoods

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Abundant, Accessible Parks and Recreation

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Excellent Roadways, Utilities and Infrastructure

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Safe, Abundant, Accessible Transportation

Using these eight goals as a starting point, the AECOM Team developed a vision statement for the BioDistrict which tries to capture the essence of all the ideas, questions and comments that arose during our discussions with the community. The goal of this vision statement is to present a vivid idealized description of a desired future for the BioDistrict that inspires, energizes and helps the community support the creation of the future district. The draft vision statement is found on the previous page and will be presented to the community for feedback during the week of physical planning workshops scheduled for the week of November 1, 2010.

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Appendices

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Appendix A: Stakeholder Sign-In Sheets

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City Visioning September 7, 2010

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City Visioning September 7, 2010

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City Visioning September 7, 2010

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City Visioning September 7, 2010

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Charity Hospital Visioning September 8, 2010

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Appendices

Public Visioning Session I September 14, 2010

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Public Visioning Session I September 14, 2010

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Public Visioning Session I September 14, 2010

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Public Visioning Session I September 14, 2010

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Work Force Visioning September 14, 2010

Appendices

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Work Force Visioning September 14, 2010

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CBA Visioning September 15, 2010

Appendices

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CBA Visioning September 15, 2010

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Appendices

Public Visioning Session 2 September 16, 2010

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Public Visioning Session 2 September 16, 2010

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Public Visioning Session 2 September 16, 2010

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Public Visioning Session 2 September 16, 2010

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Public Visioning Session 2 September 16, 2010

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Public Visioning Session 2 September 16, 2010