NEW ORLEANS — A lot of jobs are coming to New Orleans East through a major development tied to NASA. This week, the developer, Industrial Realty Group (IRG), and the builder, Impetus, broke ground on the project. The $100 million project will be the first facility of its kind to be developed in New Orleans in more than two decades.
The development is called Propel Park and it's expected to have a major impact on NASA's space exploration missions and the community of New Orleans East.
"Nothing inspires confidence like cranes in the sky and piles being driven in the ground and people creating real jobs in an area like New Orleans East," said Josh Fleig, V.P. of Business Development at Greater New Orleans Incorporated (GNO Inc.).
Propel Park will house companies that contribute to NASA's work like light assembly, manufacturing, and distribution.
"It's continued investment into our space program via the NASA Michoud in New Orleans, that’s gigantic. For years we saw a decline through space investment nationally and now we're seeing a total reversal for that trend," Fleig said.
The development land is owned by NASA and is on the Michoud facility campus. It covers 50 acres of land.
The project’s first tenant, an aircraft company called Textron Systems, already signed a 10-year lease for a distribution hub. They are currently housed in the Michoud facility.
"Increased jobs, increased investment, it also will inspire confidence for other developments that could be adjacent to that area," Fleig said.
It will create new jobs but it's unclear how many.
"It depends on who ends up occupying those facilities," Fleig explained.
With other businesses in New Orleans East, Councilmember Oliver Thomas believes this will encourage more growth in the area.
"Folgers, Faubourg, Crescent Crown Beverage on Almonaster, NASA, Impetus, Propel Park, Textron," Thomas said. "This is just the beginning of what I know will be an even more vibrant area than what it was."
The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in about a year and a half.
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