Get Away in the Vieux Carre, now in its 5th year, is an awareness campaign marketed to locals during summer months. It includes a sweepstakes awarding “Get Away” packages to the French Quarter each month.
The FQBA promotes its member businesses during the season they seemingly need it most. The goal of the campaign is to attract local customers and capture their attention for future promotions by the association and its membership. The campaign continues to grow and repeat registrants look forward to this annual campaign and give-a-way.
How Businesses Participate:
· Contribute a Gift Certificate to your business that will be included in a sweepstakes package(suggested minimum value $100, the winner should be able to visit your business at no cost to them)
· Offer a “Get Away” special during the campaign
(a promotional code, a special summer item or discount, a special menu item)
· Promote the “Get Away” campaign and sweepstakes through your business’ marketing outlets (in-store, website, social media, etc)
Time Line:
May 31st – Gift Certificate collections for give-away packages
June 1st - Launch campaign with online, television and social media
June 1st – August 31st – FQBA Weekly Spotlight Email Blasts
June 30th, July 31st & August 31st– “Get Away” Packages Awarded
Decatur Street from Wilkinson Row to Madison will be closed from 12 a.m.-4 a.m. on the following days:
• Tuesday, January 15
• Wednesday, January 16
• Thursday, January 17
• Tuesday, February 5
• Wednesday, February 6
The closures will also affect the horse carriages along Decatur Street. They are preparing to be relocated on the following days:
• January 14-16, 2013
• January 21-22, 2013
• February 4-5, 2013
Nearly 20 different television shows will be filmed in Jackson Square/Artillery Park the week of Super Bowl (January 27- February 3) including CBS This Morning; CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley; CBS Evening News Saturday; Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer; The Talk; The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson; The Super Bowl Today; Super Bowl Live; Inside the Super Bowl; NFL Monday QB; Rome; Lead Off; Inside the NFL; Eye on Pro Football in New Orleans; and OMG! Insider. Information about the shows can be found here: http://www.cbscorporation.com/news-article.php?id=924
Early morning and late night show sounds will be limited, and based on everything we know now, the lighting will not directly impact the buildings around the Square. Contrary to rumors, there will be no impact to the permitted artists or musicians on the Square. They want to showcase an authentic New Orleans to the rest of the world.
The current crew hours for broadcasts and/or taping is as follows:
Sunday, January 27: 7am – 11pm
Monday, January 28: 8:30am-1am
Tuesday, January 29: 4am -1am
Wednesday, January 30: 6:30am-12:30am
Thursday, January 31: 3am-12:30am
Friday, February 1: 3am-12:30am
Saturday, February 2: 3am-11:30pm
Sunday, February 3: 4am-end of day
This 40+ hours of national coverage will be great exposure and will highlight the great progress our city has made.
Click here renderings of some of the set designs done by the Solomon Group, which incorporates the iron work that is so well known in the French Quarter. The cable bridge will be the first thing erected next week. CBS Cable Bridge for Super BowlCBS Set 1CBS Set 3 NightCBS Set 4 Wide
CBS’ main compound will be at the French Market parking lots behind Washington Artillery Park so visitor parking will be limited.
ESPN at Jax Brewery lots
In addition to the CBS activities, ESPN will be filming over 120 hours of broadcasts the week of Super Bowl from the Jax Brewery parking lots off Decatur.
There will not be any full road closures during the load in period; however, there will be Intermittent Traffic Control (ITC) administered by the NOPD beginning on Thursday, January 23 at 12:01am until midday to bring large trucks onto the site.
Sign up today to volunteer on Saturday, April 20th, 2013 from 9 am – 12 pm!
All those passionate about making the French Quarter graffiti-free should sign up and be a part of this fun and worthwhile event. There are opportunities as group leaders as well as hands-on workers to participate. With the tools and instructions in hand, volunteers spread out through the quarter and remove as many graffiti marks as possible. Volunteers receive a work t-shirt (while supplies last), all cleaning products and tools for the cleanup, and are treated post cleanup French Quarter lunch provided at the Royal House.
With the upcoming major public events, the FQBA and VC-GAP invite individuals and groups to volunteer on Saturday, April, 2013 to help rid public spaces of unsightly graffiti. The cleanup will begin with check in at 9 am in the courtyard of the New Orleans Police Departments 8th District, 334 Royal Street. Register online at www.fqba.org as an individual or group.
The French Quarter Business Association (FQBA), along with other prominent French Quarter groups implemented a French Quarter initiative named Vieux Carre Graffiti Abatement Program or VC-GAP in the summer of 2010. VC-GAP hopes to eradicate the structures in the French Quarter of the illegal graffiti. The graffiti problem is not as insurmountable as once presumed and VC-GAP is working to help those victimized by offering information and solutions. This neighborhood beautification effort is just one of the commitments VC-GAP is making the community.
Graffiti is a real community issue that businesses, activists, residents, and volunteers are willing to face head on. Please join VC-GAP in the fight against illegal graffiti and the eradication campaign!
To volunteer or donate contact the FQBA office at 504.309.1423 or email graffiti@fqba.org
For more information, please visit our website www.fqba.org. Donations to the effort are also graciously appreciated. Everyone can help!
NOPD 8th District uses footage from privately owned video surveillance cameras to catch a lot of criminals.
However, the 8th District does not yet have a comprehensive list of all the privately owned cameras in the 8th District.
The FQMD, in partnership with the 8th District, has developed SafeCams8 to develop a comprehensive list of all the privately owned video surveillance cameras in the 8th District.
Through SafeCams8 private citizens and business owners can register their cameras that record sidewalk and street activity with the 8th District to help NOPD protect us.
Please register your security cameras NOW with the 8th District by clicking on the link below. The registration information goes directly to the 8th District:
With a combined investment of over $90 million, Paths to Progress is a collaborative effort between the Federal Highway Administration, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, New Orleans Regional Planning Commission and City of New Orleans.
Property owners should be aware that the sidewalks being repaired during this project are a special situation with a unique funding opportunity. Property owners remain responsible for maintaining the adjacent sidewalks to their property as stated in the city ordinance.
Paths to Progress is committed to provide timely construction and project updates.
Members in good standing are eligible for board nominations. Nominations are currently being accepted the deadline is October 18th at 5 pm. The nomination committee will review applicants and present the new officer recommendations at the November 12th board meeting.
Each board member is required to attend bi-monthly board meeting as well as participate in at least one of the standing committees.
We have restored power to approximately 3,000 more customers since last night’s update bringing the total to approximately 15,000 customers since the peak of outages. Transmission service is available to all substations and all substations are energized. The next critical step is to restore the main feeders leaving the substations. All of them have been assessed and those that sustained damage are being worked on. This is a critical step to restore power to the community. This must be completed in order to restore power to the lateral lines that supply power to neighborhoods and businesses.
We now have 1147 additional resources in our area: 899 including linemen, vegetation, and scouts; 208 for other support. If the weather continues to cooperate, we anticipate making substantial progress today. We should be near completion with all of our assessments today and should have most of our feeders back in service, leaving us with the lateral lines to repair. Vegetation crews will continue to remove tree branches, debris, and vines from our lines.
We hope to restore power to a considerable number of customers today and I will send out more periodic reports beginning after noon. We are working on getting you district-specific information today.
Again, we anticipate making good progress on our infrastructure and getting many customers in service today and tomorrow. Our crews are working hard, but more importantly they are working safely. More information will be provided this afternoon.
Sincerely,
Gary Huntley
Entergy New Orleans, Inc.
Vice President Regulatory and Governmental Affairs
DOTD hosts groundbreaking ceremony for French Quarter Paths to Progress projects
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Today, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) hosted a Paths to Progress groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of repairs to ten street segments in the French Quarter. The ceremony was held at the Old U.S. Mint, where DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas, was joined by federal, state and local officials.
“These streets are vital to the city as major transportation and tourism routes. With upcoming events drawing the attention of the nation to New Orleans, these projects couldn’t be more appropriate in showcasing our continued efforts to improve the infrastructure for both residents and visitors of this great city,” said DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas.
The repairs to the French Quarter roadways are the largest investment of improvements to the area since the 1984 New Orleans World’s Fair. The improvements are being made at an investment of more than $2 million from the City of New Orleans with the remaining funds as a combined investment from the Regional Planning Commission and DOTD.
Construction is proposed to begin Monday, July 16 and to be complete in December 2012. The projects were awarded to Plus Concrete, Inc. at a total of $11.3 million. The projects include resurfacing, repairing curbs and installing ADA-compliant accessible ramps and blue and white street name tiles at project corners.
The following street segments are included for repair:
Burgundy St. (Canal St. – Esplanade Ave.)
Dauphine St. (Canal St. – Esplanade Ave.)
Esplanade Ave. (N. Peters St. – N. Rampart St)
Toulouse St. (Decatur St. – Dauphine St.)
Toulouse St. (Dauphine St. – N. Rampart St.)
Saint Louis St. (Decatur St. – Dauphine St.)
Saint Louis St. (Dauphine St. – N. Rampart St.)
Decatur St. (Saint Louis St. – Dumaine St.)
N. Peters St. (Canal St. – Saint Louis St.)
Royal St. (Canal St. – Esplanade Ave.)
These improvements will benefit residents and business owners, and the exciting events bringing tourists from across the nation to New Orleans, including the Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
“The repairs to these major roadways in New Orleans are attributed to strong partnerships and support from numerous agencies. These roadway and sidewalk improvements will enhance the quality of life and experience for residents and visitors alike,” said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
“The French Quarter is important to the continued economic growth and development of the city of New Orleans. We are glad to be a part of improving New Orleans for local residents, businesses and tourists,” said Regional Planning Commission Executive Director, Walter Brooks.
“Improvements to the roads in the French Quarter will provide safer, more efficient travel and enhance not only driving, but improve the quality of life in this area,” said Federal Highway Administration Project Delivery Team Leader, Carl Highsmith.
“The Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association fully support the much needed improvements to our French Quarter sidewalks and streets. Although we know that some temporary inconveniences will be part of this improvement process, the result will enhance the beauty and overall experience of the French Quarter for our visitors and residents. We want everyone’s experience visiting New Orleans to be unforgettable. This is one more positive step forward in maintaining New Orleans’ momentum and position as one of the top travel destinations in the world,” said Mavis Early, Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association.
Paths to Progress is a transportation improvement program to rehabilitate, restore and enhance more than 60 roadway segments in Orleans and Jefferson parishes. With a combined investment of over $90 million, Paths to Progress is a collaborative effort between the Federal Highway Administration, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, New Orleans Regional Planning Commission and City of New Orleans.
WHAT: VC-GAP Graffiti Eradication Campaign
WHEN: November 15th – 19th
WHERE: Jackson Square and the French Quarter
As many are aware, the French Quarter Business Association (FQBA), along with other prominent French Quarter groups, implemented an effort in 2010 dubbed Vieux Carre Graffiti Abatement Program or VC-GAP . Our effort is solely a community action plan to eradicate graffiti from the Vieux Carre. This is a multifaceted program hoping to help property owners that have been wrongfully “tagged” as well as punish those defacing the property.
Tuesday, November 15th VC-GAP will host a press event in Jackson Square at 10:00 AM. We are asking the city administration, the police department, and the district attorney to “crack down” on the crime of graffiti in the French Quarter with the aid of the recent state law authored by Juan LaFonta which makes defacing a historic district building a felony offense punishable by up to 2 years at hard labor and up to $1,000.00 fine. (La. R.S. 14.56.5) Property owners are also accountable to remove graffiti within 30 days, which will also be enforced by 8th District’s NOPD officers. Among those expected to speak are State Representative Juan LaFonta, Superintendent Ronal Serpas, and Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer. Each will speak to how their office is playing an active role in this community movement to rid the Quarter of illegal graffiti.
Following the press conference, the group plans to spend the week spreading the word about the campaign and signing up volunteers for a Saturday, November 19th community-wide graffiti cleanup.
Volunteers are being called to action. All those passionate about making the French Quarter graffiti-free should sign up and be a part of a fun and worthwhile event. This neighborhood beautification effort is just one of the commitments VC-GAP is making the community. There are opportunities as group leaders as well as hands-on workers to participate. Volunteers receive a work t-shirt (while supplies last) and all cleaning products and tools for the cleanup. With the tools and instructions in hand, volunteers spread out through the quarter and remove as many marks as possible.
With this campaign, VC-GAP hopes to eradicate the structures in the French Quarter of the illegal graffiti. The graffiti problem is not as insurmountable as once presumed and VC-GAP is working to help those victimized by offering information and solutions. The group is also working to with law enforcement agencies to prosecute those defacing our historic landmark buildings with the full penalties of the law, which is punishable as a felony.
It is a real community issue that businesses, activists, residents, and volunteers are willing to face head on. Please join VC-GAP the week of November 15th – 19th in the fight against illegal graffiti and the eradication campaign!
For more information, to volunteer or donate contact the FQBA office at 504.309.1423 or email graffiti@fqba.org
