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BioDistrict and the Environmental Sector
BioDistrict University Partners and the NOLA business community have a great deal to offer to this Industry Sector
Based on the comprehensive analysis of the research strengths of our university partners, government business inducements and public & private investments, the BioDistrict will concentrate our economic development activities on four general sectors; Industrial, Informatics, Medical and Environmental. We believe there is the potential for substantial growth in these segments and they align with existing and planned community assets.
In this issue we are going to highlight the Environmental focus which creates both a healthy city and provides a great platform for new investments in the "green industry" sector.
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1) BioDistrict and the Built Environment
The City of New Orleans and the BioDistrict Master Plan Agree -- the Community Wins!
The National Institute of Health (NIH) defines the Built Environment as one encompassing all buildings, spaces and products that are created, or modified, by people. It includes homes, schools, workplaces, parks/recreation areas, greenways, business areas and transportation systems. It extends overhead in the form of electric transmission lines, underground in the form of waste disposal sites and subway trains, and across the country in the form of highways. It includes land-use planning and policies that impact our communities in urban, rural and suburban areas.  It is a widely held belief that the built environment begins with a new building or playgrounds to promote more activity. There is a growing belief that developing the characteristics of the healthy neighborhood in addition to creating the appropriate amount of green space is an effective promoter of physical activity; when combined with urban design and land use policies at both the street level (e.g. improved street lighting, traffic calming measures, and a healthy tree canopy) and District level activities like greenways, well designed business centers and pedestrian level retail will thrive. The City Of New Orleans recently adopted a "Complete Streets" Program calling for a more pedestrian and bike friendly design. We listened to the community during the BioDistrict Master Plan process and proposed several design alternatives.  To learn more, Click Here and go to Page 8 of the Preferred Plan. 
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2) BioDistrict first in Louisiana to host 5 LEED Certified Buildings
The new Veterans Affairs "Project Legacy" to be the largest!
A Sustainable or "green" Building brings together a vast array of practices and techniques to reduce and ultimately eliminate the impact of buildings on the environment and human health. It often emphasizes taking advantage of renewable resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar, active solar, and photovoltaic techniques and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain gardens, and for reduction of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques, such as using packed gravel or permeable concrete instead of conventional concrete or asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground water, are used as well.
While the practices or technologies employed in green building are constantly evolving and may differ from region to region, there are fundamental principles that persist from which the method is derived:
The essence of green building is an optimization of one or more of these principles. Also, with the proper synergistic design, individual green building technologies may work together to produce a greater cumulative effect.
On the aesthetic side of sustainable design or green architecture is the philosophy of designing a building that is in harmony with the natural features and resources surrounding the site. There are several key steps in designing sustainable buildings including: specifying 'green' building materials from local sources, reducing loads, optimizing systems, and generating on-site renewable energy.
The BioDistrict is pleased to say we are the home of the following LEED Buildings: Benson Tower, BioInnovation Center, Blue Plate Artist Lofts, the VA "Project Legacy", and the Woodward Companies, demonstrating an early and strong commitment to be the location of choice for the green industries.
To read more about the features of each building please click here.
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Board Member Spotlight
Commissioner Hal Brown
 BioDistrict New Orleans is proud to recognize Commissioner Hal Brown in this issue's Board Member Spotlight. Commissioner Brown is Owner of Fortune Development LLC, a for profit developer and renovator of historic residential properties in New Orleans. Commissioner Brown is also parter in Paladin Capital Group, a DC based private equity investment firm.
Commissioner Brown serves on a number of boards and commissions in New Orleans including acting as Chairman of New Orleans College Prep, an open enrollment public charter school. Commissioner Brown is an advocate in the areas of education and housing and believes it is of paramount importance that the City engage its citizen groups to forge and implement an agenda that lifts all neighborhoods. Commissioner Brown brings a wealth of knowledge to the Board of Commissioners that will continue to serve the District and the City of New Orleans. |
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Emerging Leaders Profile
Mr. Michael Eckstein, Esq.
Emerging Leaders are individuals who are taking up the charge of advancing the development of the bioscience industry cluster beyond just new buildings and into actual job creation and economic growth for our city and region.
Michael L. Eckstein and Eckstein Law Firm, APC provide legal
services to many firms in the bioscience industry including tenants in the BioInnovation Center and other high-tech industries. The firm is located within the BioDistrict and its practice areas include individual and corporate tax planning, business planning, closely-held business law, entrepreneurial business law, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property licensing and transactions involving high-tech/venture capital firms. Mike received his undergraduate degree at the University of Kentucky, his juris doctorate degree at Tulane University Law School, and his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. Mike is also a board certified tax attorney and a board certified estate planning and administration specialist. Mike is a frequent speaker on various issues including closely-held business law, business planning, entrepreneurial business law and mergers and acquisitions.
He is now a member of the Emerging Leadership with the BioDistrict and biosciences community in Louisiana.
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DID YOU KNOW? THE BIODISTRICT WILL POTENTIALLY REPRESENT $24 BILLION IN ECOMONIC GROWTH OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS?
If you think that's a long time, the Superdome just celebrated it's 26th anniversary!
BioDistrict New Orleans has created a special group on LinkedIn called Bio New Orleans where professionals and employers can post job opportunities, discuss research findings or industry trends and network with other professionals in the biosciences industry.
As of today, we have posted six new job openings and more will follow as the community builds. In fifteen weeks, more than 171 multi-disciplined professionals have joined and started sharing ideas, leads, knowledge and contacts. This is how clusters are formed, thrive and take on a life of their own. Are you a member? |
For more information, please visit www.BioDistrictNewOrleans.org
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We Are Social
Stay in touch:
Website
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BioDistrict New Orleans has it's own channel. Subscribe today for updates!
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BioDistrict's
New Office 
1515 Poydras St
Suite 150
New Orleans 70112
Come by to see renderings of the new proposed developments within the BioDistrict
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New Openings:
PJ's Coffee
in the BioDistrict
1515 Poydras Street corner LaSalle Street
This past week, I saw a City Council Members discussing a bike sharing program for New Orleans. -------------------- |
New Orleans BioInnovation
Center
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1441 Canal Street
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NOBIC Tenant Update VoiceHIT founders Dr. Peter Ragusa, Rand Ragusa, and Jeff Miller created Better Day EHR, a web-based electronic health record (EHR) platform that uses predictive modeling and third party applications to better manage a patient's health. Moreover, one of the first to receive approval for the Digital Media Tax Credit applied to the biosciences!
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COMING SOON:
Louisiana Cancer
Research Consortium
New Orleans
 | | 1700 Tulane Ave |
Opening January, 2012
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BioDistrict's Newsletter Circulation reaches 225,000 healthcare and biotech professionals worldwide!
Sponsorships available
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TRAFFIC ALERT!
RTA Lane/Intersection Closures Announcement:
The two left lanes nearest the neutral ground headed downtown on Loyola Avenue between Gravier Street and Cleveland Avenue are currently closed. The right lane and parking lane headed uptown on Loyola Avenue between Gravier Street and Cleveland Avenue is also closed.
On Loyola Ave., two lanes of traffic headed downtown and two lanes of traffic headed uptown are open at all times.
Tulane Avenue remains open at the Loyola Avenue intersection in each direction.
This proposed work schedule will end Jan. 16, 2012.
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Upcoming Meetings:
The City of New Orleans and Skanska MAPP (construction manager for University Medical Center) will host 2 information sessions to provide an overview of the hospital project and the remaining bid packages.
Vendor Outreach Event
Tuesday, February 7th
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
and
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
University Medical Center
136 S. Roman St., Suite 200
For more information and to confirm attendance please contact Nicole Kaufman at nicole.kaufman@skanska.com
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Upcoming Meetings:
Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System (Project Legacy)
SBE Matchmaking Event
Thursday, February 9th
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Mercedes Benz Superdome
1500 Sugar Bowl Dr., Claiborne Club Lounge
(Park in Garage 5)
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