NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — On June 21, Mayor Cantrell held a press conference to discuss several topics in the city.
Mayor Cantrell called herself a “crises mayor” Tuesday as she announced new safety measures at the Naval Support Activity Facility.
The team planned to sweep the facility that week, as well as, added 24/7 security and ordered equipment to board up windows.
That plan was until the developer, Joe Jaeger, would step in to secure the property.
“The scope of the project is to be redeveloped as a mixed use site with housing attached to it, with affordable housing, as well,” Mayor Cantrell said.
However, the application for HUD funding was still in processing, at the time.
Bywater homeowners were fed up, but they weren’t alone. Realtors posted on social media offering help to New Orleanians looking to leave the crime.
“What we’re dealing with are individuals in our city who have no respect for life at all. That’s what we’re dealing with,” Mayor Cantrell said. “We have issues with mental health and addiction that we’re dealing with and it is real. But in order to address it, it’s going to take everything that we have as a community to do so.”
Public safety continued to be the topic of concern but the mayor addressed quality of life issues as well.
“This is the first time we’ve seen investments in infrastructure in the City of New Orleans in over 100 years,” she said.
WGNO News has spoken with several homeowners over the past few months whose roads were in shambles. In the spring, four city departments were defunded. One of them was public works.
While the investments did mean progress, that was it for the time being.
“Anytime you have budgets that are frozen of departments that you’re also asking to do the work, absolutely, it has an impact,” Mayor Cantrell said. “It has an impact on our ability to do the work in a timely manner.”
Homeowners also expressed concerns with streets in the dark and trash pick-up delays.
Mayor Cantrell also addressed the Lakeview flood mitigation plan, which was placed on hold due to lack of planning, according to city leadership. The funding was then up-for-grabs for projects in Broadmoor, St. Roch or Oak Park.