United FIlm Education Complex rendering

Resilience Project rendering

The recently-closed Navy facility at the edge of the Bywater is set to be reborn with a cruise ship terminal and emergency preparedness center. But questions remain about who will develop the former Naval Support Activity-East Bank site, and what else will be built there. The city - and the one of three proposals they select - holds the answers. Yesterday afternoon, The Naval Support Activity New Orleans Advisory Task Force, (NSANOATF) heard presentations from the groups who want to transform the large site, and a decision is expected to be issued before the summer is out.

The city requires that any business to take over the site include a Cruise Ship Terminal as well as a Resiliency Center designed to facilitate the city in evacuations and boost our emergency preparedness. But that's where the similarities among the three bidders end. One proposal goes the way of hospitality with a proposal for a hotel, while another is looking to open a film education center. The third potential project seeks to partner with the city rather than take over development completely.  

President of Element Films Adam Rosenfelt, in partnership with Pres Kabacoff, a local university, and The Choice Foundation for Exemplary Charter Schools wants to create The United Film and Education Complex (UFEC). The project seeks to provide education, job training, and professional production facilities for high school as well as college students.

The facility will offer the large scale soundstages, and production facillities that still continue to draw films back to the original Hollywood. In addition, schools on site will offer a high school degree with an emphasis on film, an associates, as well as the option of a four year degree in conjunction with a local university.

Adding a little Treme charm, acclaimed actor Wendell Pierce presented with the group,at the meeting  adding that if the proposal beats the other two, he would want to include a Sterling Farms Grocery Store on the site.  

Rosenfelt is confident that his project would bring income as well as jobs to the community. “The United Studios and Education Complex will put New Orleans on the forefront of film training and production. Our complex will ensure the state’s film industry employs local, skilled professionals rather than importing production crews from other cities,” said Rosenfelt.  

The people behind the Emergency Management and Recovery Center presented a proposal that includes a residential portion of the lot as well as a hotel and lodging facility. In their proposal, Terry Ebbert and William Ryan of Ebbert and Associates referred to the hotel as “a natural complement” to the training programs in the facility as well as for the booming tourist market. EMDRC’s proposal also promises that the residential community will provide housing that is not only affordable and convenient but also able to provide easy access to the “multitude of jobs that will be available in the new development.”

On a different note, Urban Focus LLC presented The Resilience Project, a move that they said aims to slow down NSA NOATF’s progress in the name of responsible development practices. Dr. Sandi Stroud of “The Resilience Project,” said that speed should not be the focus and that her team could effectively act as a “fee developer for the city so that they retain ownership, and we can create funding opportunities.”

“Our approach is a long term, integrated approach where we’ve used both a local and a national team with a lot of experience and sustainability in real estate on a large scale,” said Stroud. 

“The city proposed something that takes down the property very quickly has a deadline of 2014, and our proposal is that that’s not the best way to get the best solution. To deliver that much, it’s better to do it over time and when the market can support it.”

The Task Force is expected to pick a proposal August 21.