The City of New Orleans announced its redevelopment of the historic Municipal Auditorium Friday afternoon.
As part of a project with FEMA and community partners, the city was given a Notice to Proceed to start the FEMA-scope-of-work to bring business back to the auditorium.
The $38 million project includes replacing the existing roof, exterior repairs, mold remediation, the removal of existing mechanical and electrical equipment and conditioning the building.
"Embarking on the design of the FEMA scope-of-work for the Municipal Auditorium is a significant accomplishment for the City and its partners in redeveloping this historically valuable facility," said Vincent Smith, Director of the New Orleans Capital Projects Administration.
The city is working with Save our Soul (S.O.S), a nonprofit community organization to create a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) to outline their roles and responsibilities for the redevelopment of the building and Armstrong Park based the proposed S.O.S. redevelopment plan approved by the administration.
In 1930, the Municipal Auditorium opened as a multi-use entertainment venue in the Treme neighborhood. Since Hurricane Katrina, the site has sat dormant without any significant initiatives brought to the historical building.
Officials said the NTP is the first step to bringing back the site.
“We are delighted to celebrate the collaboration with our community partners and FEMA as we begin this project. We look forward to continued teamwork to restore the facility to its former glory and create a top-notch entertainment, commercial and cultural building that will benefit the community and the City," said Smith.
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