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BioDistrict New Orleans: Providing Community Leadership for the Innovation Economy
Having failed to garner support from the State or the City to fund District operations, the Board of Commissioners voted to levy a 1.5% Construction Impact Fee on new or renovated commercial construction within Construction Impact Fee Zone #1. The resulting reoccurring stream of revenue will enhance the delivery of economic growth activities for New Orleans citizens.
For the past 30 years, there have been few drivers of new construction outside of the hospitality industry because we lacked the needed industry base to supply the continued economic growth that creates the demand for new space. As "big oil" left to consolidate elsewhere, so did the retailers and the other small businesses that relied on their employees as customers. We now recognize that we also did not take full advantage of the commercialization potential of university research, even though 13.5% of Louisianians work in the bioscience industry, to create sustained local economic growth.
The knowledge and understanding of how to leverage the bioscience industry base that we have gained makes our effort to build a bioscience hub and the corresponding need for new facilities, a solid value proposition for the community to invest in. In fact, the BioDistrict strategic industry development plan contemplates a combination of the acceleration of investment in the biosciences stemming from the research at our local universities, and a sustained commitment from local, regional, state, political, business and philanthropic organizations that are all focused and working together on a common goal of creating a premier bioscience hub for sustained economic growth.
There are times when a community must decide what it wants to become, sets aside the naysayers, and makes the commitment to invest in itself to develop these new economic, educational and healthcare opportunities in a sustainably built environment -- the time for New Orleans is now!
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The construction impact fee is levied only on commercial construction within the specified CIF 1 Zone. It does not affect residential construction or home ownership.
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The BioDistrict needs the ability to generate operating revenue to reach its current and potential impact to create, recruit and retain new high paying quality jobs, increase local and state tax base and ensure the personal income growth for the overall good of the city. The effort at securing public funding over the past two years has been dismal:
- We have received no State funding in 2012-13
- The City of New Orleans denied our request for bare-bones funding of $350,000 per year for 2012, 2013 and 2014 even though the budgets of the latter years are not even in the offering yet.
While it is perplexing to understand the State or City rationale, it is not an uncommon scenario. In fact, at this year's AURP International Conference hosted by the BioDistrict in New Orleans, we learned that most of these growth initiatives wrestle with the issues of Cash, Credit and Control before they can really take off.
The BioDistrict Commission members give unselfishly of their time and expertise and aren't concerned about who gets the credit -- they see the need and the opportunity and are interested in collaborations that will benefit the community at large. More than anyone, they recognize two things: the BioDistrict cannot grow without broad community support and self-sustaining resources. For revenues, we are focused internally on the demand that will be generated from our activities, and then reinvested to create a continuous cycle of funding without the need for ad valorem or sales tax.
Much has been accomplished but there is lots more to do.
In Dr. James Richardson's Economic Analysis, he cites the need for a consistent revenue stream to unlock the potential of the District. The directed reinvestment back into the District will begin a cycle of growth not witnessed in New Orleans for decades. We are entering the world of the unknown for New Orleanians, a cycle where we will see actual "demand" created by this local industry for new housing, jobs, retail, medical offices and other commercial and industrial activities.
  
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More BioDistrict Catalytic Projects on the way!
Solicitation of Architectural & Engineering and Planning Qualifications.
A Solicitation of Qualifications (SOQ) was issued earlier today. Responses are due in the BioDistrict office at 1515 Poydras Street by 2:00 p.m. CDST on June 28, 2012.
 | Galvez BioMedical Research Corridor
Future Home to new Bioscience Research and Development Companies |
The Master Plan calls for approximately 16 million square feet of new construction over the next twenty years. Much of the construction will relate directly to our mission of attracting new bioscience research, process and manufacturing companies to the District and the LA Southeast Super-Region.
The desire of the District is to select a firm(s) for future A&E work on the basis of specializations, qualifications, availability and project scope.
The selected firm(s) will be part of a team with financial advisors and bond counsel recently approved by the Commission.
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Pre Bid Conference:
June 15, 2012 10:00 am - 11:30 am
1515 Poydras Street, Ste. 540
New Orleans, LA 70112
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New Commissioner Introduction
Mr. Charles L. Rice, Jr. is a Mayoral Appointment
The Board of Commissioners is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Charles L. Rice, Jr. as the newest member of the Board. His knowledge of city, utilities and the law are but a few of the assets he brings to the Board and the District's effort to grow the biosciences industry.
 | | Commissioner Charles L. Rice, Jr. |
Commissioner Rice became president and chief executive officer of Entergy New Orleans, Inc., a $750 million a year electric and gas utility, on June 14, 2010.
Taking over the electric and gas utility that has been in a growth mode with more than 85 percent, or 160,000, of its customers returning home since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Commissioner Rice is responsible for the company's financial and operational performance, customer service, regulatory and governmental relations, economic development programs, external and internal communications, charitable contributions and environmental policy. At the core of his operational responsibilities is management of the company's electric and gas distribution systems to New Orleans customers.
Following his first legal private practice position in Louisiana with Jones Walker, Commissioner Rice joined Entergy in the legal department in 2000 serving as senior counsel in the Entergy Service, Inc. litigation group and then as manager of labor relations litigation support in human resources.
Commissioner Rice was recruited into New Orleans city government in 2002 as the City Attorney and later took the critical role of chief administrative officer for the City of New Orleans. In 2005, the law firm of Barrasso, Usdin, Kupperman, Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C., recruited him back to private practice where he was named partner.
Returning to Entergy in 2009, Rice served as director of utility strategy where he was responsible for coordinating regulatory, legislative, and communications efforts to develop and execute strategies that advanced commercial objectives for the company's regulated service areas. He then served as director of regulatory affairs for Entergy New Orleans.
Rice graduated from Howard University with a bachelor's degree in business administration and earned his juris doctorate from Loyola University's School of Law. He is a member of the Alabama and Louisiana State Bar Associations, the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association and the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. In addition to serving on the Visiting Committee of the Loyola University School of Law, he currently serves on the boards of the National Conference for Community and Justice, the Kingsley House, the Boy Scouts of America's Southeast Louisiana Council, the United Negro College Fund Louisiana Leadership Council, the Covenant House New Orleans and the Business Council of New Orleans. The Mayor of New Orleans also appointed Rice to serve on the NOLA Alliance board, and the city's Tax Fairness Commission.
He received the Loyola University School of Law Distinguished Moot Court Alumni Award in 2004. New Orleans City Business magazine also recognized Rice as a member of the Power Generation in 2003 and as a "Leader in Law" in 2008.
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Community Activities -- New City Partnership
BioDistrict New Orleans a Founding Member
NEWCITY Neighborhood Partnership  is a coalition
of over fifty stakeholders in the Treme/Lafitte and Tulane/Gravier neighborhoods of New Orleans. NEWCITY uses monthly meetings to determine ways to synergize members' individual redevelopment efforts and to jointly advocate for catalytic, place-based development.
Current Priorities:
- Community Health
- Cultural and Community Facilities
- Economic Development
- Housing
- Infrastructure and Public Transportation
- Parks and Natural Resources
- Public Education
- Quality of Life, Preservation, and Zoning
- Re-population and Membership
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BioDistrict New Orleans Companies In The News Recruiting and retention of bioscience companies BioDistrict based Healthcare APP Developer, will improve physician workflow and patient information with its web-based electronic healthcare records.  VoiceHIT partner Nuance Healthcare recently published a case study showcasing Better Day™, which is a huge validation of their model pre-launch.
The case study highlights Better Day™ increases the quality of documentation, improves efficiency and drives better care - all while putting less burden on providers whose deadline for compliance is 2014. VoiceHIT, is a tenant in the New Orleans BioInnovation Center and one day be a huge EHR\IT employer of New Orleanians. |
DID YOU KNOW?
BioDistrict has all of the essential components to become a leader in economic growth!
We are succeeding in creating the positive buzz that will allow us to attract outside investment providing quality, better paying jobs for New Orleanians.
 | | Crowdfunding & Networking Events |
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. The aim is to create a bioscience community.
As of today, we have posted 11 new job openings and more will follow as the community builds. In eight months, more than 315 (up 15 since the last newsletter) multi-disciplined professionals have joined and started sharing ideas, leads, knowledge and contacts. Some are locals, some ex-pats looking to stay in touch.
Link in an find out the time and place of upcoming networking events!
This is how clusters are formed, thrive and take on a life of their own.
Are YOU in the game or on the sideline?
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BioDistrict Catalytic Projects -- Moving New Orleans into the Future
Yes, there ARE many cranes in the sky signaling the rebirth of the City and in the coming years even more will follow.
Keep an eye on the construction, the large concrete box shaped objects are the foundation caps of the new Diagnostic and Treatment Building.
Watch the 3-D movie of the construction here:
 | The Rev. Avery Alexander Academic Research Center
Construction in 3-D |
Or, click on the photo to see the current construction activity:
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Construction Cam
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TRAFFIC ALERT!RTA Lane/Intersection Closures Announcement:Beginning April 9, 2012
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- Elk Place (riverside) between Tulane Avenue and Canal Street will be closed to vehicular traffic for a period of 30-45 days. Canal Street-bound traffic will be detoured to O'Keefe Avenue
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- Loyola Avenue (riverside) between Gravier Street and Tulane Avenue will be open for local access only.
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For more information, please visit www.BioDistrictNewOrleans.org
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We Are Social !
Stay in touch:
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 | Meetings, Conventions and Conferences
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South Louisiana Clinical
Research Foundation, Inc.
June 6 - 8, 2012
1,100 Attendees
New Orleans Marriott
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BioDistrict New Orleans has it's own channel. Subscribe today for updates!
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BioDistrict
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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| | What will it take to form a successful BIO Hub?
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) says it takes:
- Strong science base
- Ability to attract and/or train a skilled workforce
- Specialized Facilities
- Continuous community and political commitment
- Connectivity
- Effective marketing of scientific and business networks
- Effective financing mechanisms and incentives
- Strong ecosystem, i.e., infrastructure and business support services
- Conducive intellectual property environment
- Supportive policy, advocacy and regulatory environment
- Investment in technology transfer and commercialization mechanisms
- Entrepreneurial culture
- Sustainably built environment
- Operating efficiency
It is more than just buildings, it's a commitment to the total ecosystem including open innovation.
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Value Proposition:
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A STRONG FOCUSED SCIENCE BASE THAT IS GROWING + POSITIVE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Top Rankings
Just Released: 16 Years and Counting: #1 - Xavier University graduates more pre-med students that actually attend medical school than any other university in the country! |
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HOUSING
A wide array of beautifully transformed homes of all sizes, offer flexibility and comfort to anyone, from families to singles. Most of our units are conveniently located in Mid-City, selected for its convenient location to employment opportunities as well as its easy access to public transportation.
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CAFES AND RESTAURANTS
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PJ's on Poydras 1515 Poydras Street
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and
Ur Way Yogurt & Coffee
in the BioDistrict
3001 Tulane Ave
Shops at the Crescent Club
Great treats and good eats! Free WIFI for customers.
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| SPECIALIZED FACILITIES
New Orleans
BioInnovation Center
1441 Canal Street
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Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium
1700 Tulane Ave. 
more information
on either the BioInnovation
or the LA Cancer
Research Centers
about business
opportunities and partnerships.
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Our Partners
 | World Trade Center
New Orleans |
 | BioDistrict is a Founding Member of the Workforce Collaborative serving the unskilled find new opportunities in healthcare and
the biosciences |
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We are a proud supporter of Tulane's Health Disparity Project that seeks to address health disparities, particularly for African-American patients, for head and neck cancer in the Greater New Orleans area while also promoting awareness and early detection of those types of cancer.
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