User:ChristinaRich

BRING NEW ORLEANS BACK (BNOB)


The Term Bring New Orleans Back or BNOB came about shortly after the city of New Orleans expericened a considerable amount of devastation after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the city. Many individuals were unsure if they would return to their let alone the city. Therefore, Jamse Reiss in Dallas, TX organizied a meeting with Major Ray Nagin and other New Orleans business leader to crated a neccessary city- wide plan for the recovery of New Orleans called BNOB.

BNOB Proposal:
On January 11, 2006 Joseph Canizaro presented the BNOB plan to Major Nagin in front of a public audience at the Sheraton hotel. Initially the mayor was inpressed with Canizaro plan to rebuild the city. However, many local residents felt Canizaro plan was shutting them out and not allowing them a fair say in thier return home. One local resident stated, "Are we going to let some developers, some hustlers, some land thieves to grab our land, grad our homes, to make this a Disney World version of our homes, our lives?" After many more statements from local residents with the same frustration and reluctance to leave their homes quitely Major Nagin assured the public audience that Canizaro ideas were only suggestions. 

The Urban Planning Committe of Bring New Orleans Back Commission Proposal made Wednesday January 11, 2006 touched on the following issuses:



 * Neighborhoods must establish a redevelopment plan and at least half of the residents within the neighborhood must have plans of returning. If a neighhorhood fails to met these criteria's by May 20, 2006 those neighborhoods will become parks or industrial zones.


 * Areas awaiting redevelopment plans will be issused suspensions on their rebuilding permits.


 * New flood maps will be given to citizens in order to make decisions about their homes.


 * Search for buyouts that will pay home owners 100 oercent of their property value pre- Katrina, minus mortgage and insurence proceeds.
 * Areas with little or no flooding should remain open for instant redevelopment, but flooded neighborhoods should display viabilty before redevelopment.


 * Generate a sovereign agency to manage redevelopment. Remove the City Councils' ability to repeal choices made the Planning Commission and let the courts handle appeals.


 * Construct light-rail systems to encourage development.


 * Connect parks, bike paths, and canals covered with grassy areas in every neighhorhood.

The proposal made in January basically made the audience think that the city officals only wanted to take the areas that were hit the hardest and turn them into parks or that the city would just take its time in rebuilding the low-income areas. In March, Mayor Nagin came up with a new plan which would allow all areas to rebuild but it would be at their own risk.

The Big Question


The essential question for the BNOB plan was which Neighborhoods would be allowed to rebuilt and which ones would be torn down? Joseph C. canizaro (a key developer in the plan to bring New Orleans back) and colleagues formed neighborhood planning meetings where they would poll homerowners about their intentions of rebuilding and only those with at least half of the per-Katrina resident's commited to rebuild were considered candidates for CDBGs (Community Development Block Grants) and other financial and. This, however, became a major problem because many neighborhoods which were hit the hardest by hurricanes (Katrina and Rite) residents were unable to attend the meetings because of their new location outside the city. A statement made by Harvey Bender a New Orleans East resident, in regards to Canizaro plan was, "How many people from my back yard are up there?" he continued to say "I'm ready to rebuild and I'm not letting you take mine. I'm going to fight, whatever it takes, to rebuld my property...I'm going to suit up like i'm going to Iraq and fight this." 

The End Result:
The BNOB plan did not receive the financial support it expected from FEMA. When FEMA support fell through, the City Council formed its own enterprise, the New Orleans Neighborhood Rebuilding Plan(NOLANRP).

External Links:

 * “Who is Killing New Orleans”, “The New York Times” March 26 2006


 * “The Plan,”, “The Times Picayune”, Thursday, January 12 2006


 * Excerpt from “Anger Meets New Orleans Renewal Plan’’ by Gary Rivlin


 * Excerpt from “City residents denounce “Bring New Orleans Back” rebuilding plan: Remaking New Orleans for the wealthy” by Kate Randall


 * Excerpt from “ FEMA Will Not Pay for BNOB Planners by Yunji de Nies