GRETNA, La. – There is so much growth going on in downtown Gretna.
Once vibrant, when gambling was outlawed and the oil industry had a decline in the early 1980s, businesses downtown closed and residents moved to the suburbs. But that is changing!
“Now, we’re post Katrina feeling this incredible resurgence of people wanting to move back to the way of life that made this place vibrant in the 1950s,” Gretna Mayor Belinda Constant said. “A place where you could live, work and play in all a distance that can be walked or biked.”
The focal point of Gretna is city hall, which just got a facelift with fresh paint and landscaping. Also, restaurants are no longer closed after the lunch rush. Than Thans started the movement.
“They were willing to take a chance on a downtown that had no life and they opened up for dinner and stayed open on weekends and Sunday for brunch. Truly the rest is history,” Constant said.
Companies are taking notice and are investing in Gretna.
Gulf Coast bank and Trust bought an entire building across the street from city hall. Not only does it have the bank and support departments downstairs, they also invested in residential. The company built six lofts upstairs, complete with a rooftop deck, kitchen and common area. It also has rented out a space that will be a wine bar.
“There’s a whole trend now of urban living,” Gulf Coast Bank & Trust President Guy Williams said. “We see both old people and young people want the same thing: to park the car and walk. Gretna isn’t something you’d immediately think of for urban living, but it meets all the requirements.”
Williams says downtown Gretna has coffee, restaurants, and farmer’s markets. And every Saturday night there’s a concert and pub crawl.
Williams’ bank is the largest private employer in Gretna. On a smaller scale, Amore’s Italian Bakers and Café opened in 2016. And a New Orleans boutique finally gave in to requests and is reaping the benefits.
“What really puts us on the map, I think is near and dear to my heart, is Fleurty Girl. What a success story,” Constant said. “We lobbied her for three years to try to get her to take a chance on Gretna and she finally has.”
The mayor credits the Historic Preservation Commission, who has strict guidelines for properties in the historic district so the streetscape stays reminiscent of what it has always been in Gretna.
Mayor Constant feels confident that downtown Gretna is up and running with the pieces in place to sustain success, so they’re focusing on improving other parts of the city. Gretna was just awarded funding from LA Safe, one of 10 flood resilience projects announced by Governor John Bel Edwards. The mayor is planning on investing that money with what they call the 25th Street Resilience District on the southside of the expressway that is vulnerable to flooding.
“People were afforded an opportunity post Katrina to raise properties because of the flood zones, but in most cases it’s still an expensive process,” Constant said. “People quite frankly couldn’t afford to raise the properties, leaving them still vulnerable to flood events.”
Constant is hoping to leverage the grant with other federal funding to transform the neighborhood. She says there are about 1,000 properties that will benefit. Her team is focused on Gretna City Park, which is 78 acres. The plan is to improve flood mitigation, but at the same time meet demand for recreational needs in the area.
“Taking the opportunity to address water management, flood management, quality of life, green infrastructure programs,” Constant said.
As the mayor’s office works to improve Gretna, they hope to also set a model for Jefferson Parish and governments throughout the state.