FEMA trailer occupants face eviction

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

There will be some New Orleanians in need of housing really soon, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency wants people living in FEMA trailers to move out by the end of this month.

According to a WWL-TV story, the deadline applies only to people who got a trailer after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Those living in trailers because of hurricanes Gustav and Ike face a March 2010 deadline.

In Orleans Parish alone, there are nearly 800 FEMA trailers, according to the story.

According to a posting on southernstudies.org, there were more than 5,000 people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama living in the trailers and in hotels financed by FEMA as of May 1.

Can local apartment owners expect an influx of business as these residents look for shelter? Can contractors expect the phones to start ringing as the evicted look for someone to repair their hurricane-damaged homes?

Maybe.

According to the WWL story, some trailer occupants in New Orleans East are rushing to repair their homes. But finding a contractor — and enough money to make the repairs — has been a problem, some say, according to the story.

But if money is the problem, apartments and contractors might not see a boost in business afterall.•

Throw me a tax break, mister

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

Yesterday, I posted a story by The Associated Press on the Louisiana Senate’s approval of a state sales tax exemption for Mardi Gras beads and other trinkets thrown during Carnival.

Is this tax break really needed?•

Who should benefit from streetcar extension?

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

As the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority considers expanding streetcar lines, should the new lines benefit tourists more or locals?

It’s a question that’s arisen now that three extensions have been proposed:

– the Union Passenger Terminal/Howard Avenue loop, running from Lee Circle to Canal Street via Loyola Avenue;

– the French Quarter/Elysian Fields Avenue/Press Street loop, which would bring streetcar service into the Treme and 7th Ward; and

– a loop along Convention Center Boulevard and the Mississippi Riverfront, serving the New Orleans Morial Convention Center and adjacent hotels.

According to a story in this week’s issue of CityBusiness, Walter Brooks, executive director of the Regional Planning Commission, sees benefits to tourists in the Convention Center loop. For one, visitors wouldn’t have to walk as far to reach Canal Street, the French Quarter and major hotels, he said.

He also pointed out that recent developments, including Superdome upgrades and the city’s interest in relocating City Hall to the Chevron building, have heightened the appeal of the UPT/Howard Avenue loop.

But Jeff Schwartz, an urban planner and New Orleans native, said the Convention Center loop benefits a small number of tourists and businesses and does not service New Orleans residents or the bigger tourism picture.

Here’s more from the CityBusiness story:

A streetcar extension along Convention Center Boulevard would not add a new destination because it would duplicate the riverfront service, Schwartz said. Additionally, he said it would serve far fewer residents given the lack of population density along the route.

Schwartz questions why transportation and planning officials are “continuing to focus on this very sheltered, narrow-minded vision of what tourism can be.”

“When you go to a city like New York, Chicago or Boston, you want to go out and see all of the neighborhoods, right? And the public transportation there lets you do that,” Schwartz said. “(The French Quarter loop) would let people who come to the city, very easily with only one transfer, get all the way from Carrollton Avenue to the Bywater.”

According to the story, RTA chief executive Justin Augustine said the authority has not taken a stance on any of the proposals.•

Nagin’s relocation plan surprises council

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

When Mayor Nagin announced at his final “State of the City” address this week that he wants to relocate City Hall to the former headquarters of Chevron, it was news to more than just the general public.

Some members of the City Council said they had no idea of Nagin’s plans, according to media reports.

Here’s an excerpt from a Times-Picayune story:

Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, chairwoman of the Budget Committee, said she recently toured the Chevron buildings with top administration officials. But she said she thought the building was being considered as a way to save money by centralizing city offices now housed in private buildings, including the Amoco Building.

During her tour, Hedge-Morrell said, someone mentioned the idea of relocating all of city government, but she added she was surprised to hear Nagin pitch it as a serious plan.

Council President Jackie Clarkson said she also has toured the Chevron site.

“It is a great building at a great price,” said Clarkson, a Realtor. But although she said she was aware of the idea of uprooting municipal functions to the new location, she did not realize plans were progressing so quickly.

The council’s other at-large member, Arnie Fielkow, and Councilwoman Stacy Head, whose district includes the current City Hall campus and the Chevron buildings, said they had no idea the purchase was being considered.

According to the story, members of the City Council would have to sign off on the purchase.•

Nagin to give last ‘State of the City’ address

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

Mayor Ray Nagin will give his final “State of the City” address tonight at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts.

Via a press release, Nagin’s press office has given a sneak peak at what the mayor will talk about. Portions of his talk should be of interest to the business community.

Here’s the press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   MAY 20, 2009

State of the City Address to Highlight Recovery, Economic Development and Race Relations

New Orleans, LA – Mayor C. Ray Nagin will deliver his annual State of the City Address tonight and will focus on issues important to the City’s recovery from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and the breached levees, such as the growth and stability of neighborhoods through increased homeownership opportunities and affording housing for seniors and working families.

Mayor Nagin also will honestly address the issue of race relations, including its impact on our community and future, as well as infrastructure improvements, public safety and economic development.

Finally, the Mayor will recognize the hard work of citizens who have returned and who strive daily to improve this city.

During the speech, Mayor Nagin will announce a number of new initiatives that the city will implement to maintain the momentum of this historic recovery.

The State of the City event will begin at 6 p.m. at the newly renovated and restored Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. Mayor Nagin is expected to begin speaking at approximately 7 p.m.

Actor Wendell Pierce, a New Orleans native, will serve as master of ceremonies. Music will be provided by to local choirs-Franklin Avenue Baptist Church and First Baptist Church.•

After Super Bowl announcement, some dis N.O.

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

I’ve been surfing the Internet today, looking for how the national media are covering New Orleans’ landing of the 2013 Super Bowl.

I came across the following string of comments on the Web site of the Sun Herald, which covers coastal Mississippi. The writers use the online names of Padauk and Sparta.

Padauk: All ticket holders should receive a free bullet proof vest and a 9mm. I wish you luck getting to and from your cars.

Sparta:That is if your car is still where you parked.

Padauk:LMAO!!! You got that right!

I wonder if these folks are from New Orleans. Or are they from Phoenix or south Florida, which New Orleans beat in the race for the Super Bowl?•

Super Bowl and the Mardi Gras factor

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

New Orleans will find out today whether it will score a touchdown in its attempt to land the Super Bowl in 2013.

Without question, the event would pump millions of dollars into the New Orleans economy, with hotels and restaurants the big winners.

But will Mardi Gras be a factor in whether New Orleans scores the game?

The Super Bowl reportedly is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2013. Mardi Gras will be held 10 days later, on Feb. 12.

The last time New Orleans played host to the Super Bowl was Feb. 3, 2002. Interestingly, Mardi Gras also fell on Feb. 12 that year. Here’s what a story by The Associated Press said at the time:

Even with travel and tourism still in a slump nationwide in the wake of last year’s terrorist attack, New Orleans had most hotel rooms in the city booked this weekend — and that was without the Super Bowl.

The disruption in the NFL schedule due to the attack pushed the game back a week and almost forced the game to be moved out of the Big Easy. The lack of hotel rooms to accommodate the game’s estimated 75,000 visitors was one of the biggest problems brought by moving the date of the game, along with an auto dealer’s convention that had been booked into the Super Dome for the weekend.

The story goes on to say this:

In the end, the game stayed put on the new weekend. Mardi Gras parades, the convention and other events were rescheduled for last weekend. But the strong demand for New Orleans’ hotel rooms means that the economic impact of the game is somewhat more limited than it would be at other locations.

“If you put a Super Bowl in Detroit in January, it does have a big positive benefit to the city — a significant fraction of those who attend and spend hundreds of bucks a piece wouldn’t be there otherwise,” said Roger Noll, professor of economics at Stanford University and an expert on the economic impact of sports on a city. “But if you do the same thing in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, you’re just displacing people who would be there anyway.”

It makes you wonder whether the NFL decision-makers today might consider giving the Super Bowl to south Florida or Phoenix, because New Orleans will benefit economically from Mardi Gras around the same time. Then again, they’ve been generous to New Orleans in the past; the city has played host to nine Super Bowls already. Why not make it an even 10?•

N.O. businesses long for Super Bowl

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

Businesses in the New Orleans area will likely be glued to the Internet, radio and TV — perhaps all three — today to see whether the city will land Super Bowl 2013, which will have a major economic impact on the community that plays host to it.

The announcement is expected to arrive this afternoon. Also in the running for the game: South Florida and Phoenix.

Today, CityBusiness contacted local businesses and asked them about what the game would mean for them. The last time New Orleans played host to the Super Bowl was in 2002.

“It would probably be equal to two months’ worth of normal income,” Susan Bonomolo, part owner of New Orleans-based Bonomolo Limosines, said in the CityBusiness story.

According to a 2003 article I found online today, the Super Bowl consistently has an economic impact of between $220 million and $350 million.

Such an impact could help New Orleans’ tourism industry, which is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and now is coping with the effects of the recession.

As New Orleans businesses wait for the official word, a posting on nfl.fanhouse.com claims Saints owner Tom Benson is sure New Orleans will be awarded the game.

Here’s an excerpt:

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing either; I’m all for “fair shakes” and “democratic voting” and whatnot, but New Orleans is a city that — more than most in this miserable economic state — could really use an infusion of revenue. It won’t happen (allegedly at this point) happen until 2013, but at least it’s some sort of faint glimmer of hope.•

N.O. developers stuck with land

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

Like developers throughout the U.S., those in New Orleans are faced with the difficulty of financing their projects. And, like in other parts of the country, some developments — the Trump project and Tracage, to name a few — planned for New Orleans have been put on pause until the struggling economy gets back on its feet.

In a story in this week’s edition of CityBusiness, reporter Jaime Guillet wrote about developers who “are faced with what to do with their property now that the economy has shut down most large-scale condo projects in the city.”

One developer, Shea Embry, who has had difficulty getting financing for a $42 million Bywater condominium and retail development, is giving thought to offers that she once passed over, such as those from the film industry, which could use her property as office space for boutique post-production facilities.

But, according to the story, some developers don’t have the luxury of leasing their sites to others until the economy heals.

Take The St. Raymond, a residential development once slated for the former Jefferson Plaza Shopping Center. When The St. Raymond project was scrapped last year, developer Jim St. Raymond put the site up for sale.

“To date the property has not been actively marketed, so there has been no action on it because it doesn’t appear to be available,” said Scott Rojas, spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission.

Even after the economy takes the hancuffs off the developers, though, will there be enough residents to buy all of the condos slated for the New Orleans area?•

For GM dealers, no news is good news

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

Today had to be stressful for General Motors Corp. dealers nationwide, including those in the New Orleans area, as they waited for letters letting them know whether they are among 1,100 shops GM wants to eliminate.

As of this afternoon, no New Orleans metro area dealers have announced that they are on GM’s list. GM is not publishing the names of the dealers being cut. Instead, the company is leaving it up to the dealerships to share the news with the public.

If you received a letter, it meant bad news. If you did not get one, well, your weekend just got a lot better.

Today, I spoke with a handful of GM dealers in the New Orleans area before, and after, they found out their fate. (To read CityBusiness’ coverage, click here.)

For dealerships in our area, it was a morning of waiting for the news.

Richard Flick, owner of Banner Chevrolet, at 5950 Chef Menteur Highway, told me he had a “false alarm” this morning when he received a FedEx package that he thought contained the dreaded news. But, luckily for him, that’s not what was in the package. Later in the morning, he knew that his dealership would be spared.

Joe Mossy, owner of Mossy Motors in New Orleans, also thought the news might come via FedEx. But the FedEx driver didn’t have a letter for Mossy. The mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service didn’t have a letter, either. Later in the morning, during a GM conference call from Detroit, officials said all dealers had been notified. Mossy still didn’t know anything about the future of his business. But he finally found out his dealership would be saved when someone called to tell him it was not on the chopping block.

It was probably the best call he took all day.•

N.O. called ’safe haven’ from real estate storm

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

New Orleans is among five U.S. cities that are “safe havens” from the U.S. real estate storm, according to a blog posting by The Christian Science Monitor’s The New Economy Blog.

Here’s an excerpt from the May 7 posting:

New Orleans – the city partially built below sea level – is one of the least “underwater” when it comes to real estate.

Only 3.8 percent of its homeowners owe more on their homes than those homes are worth, according to new survey released Wednesday by Zillow.com, an online real estate marketplace. That’s the second-lowest rate of the 160 metropolitan areas surveyed.

Of course, it’s easy to buck the trend when a major hurricane wipes out a good portion of your housing, pushes out a third of your people (especially the poor), and causes federal and state governments to pump in millions of dollars in aid.

The other four cities considered safe havens: Augusta, Ga., where 2 percent of homeowners are underwater; Cumberland, Md., 5 percent; Corvallis, Ore., 5.3 percent; and Oklahoma City, 6.3 percent.•

What’s going to happen to N.O. Chrysler dealerships?

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

Chrysler today said it wants to eliminate 25 percent of its 3,200 U.S. dealerships. But it’s not clear if dealerships in the New Orleans metropolitan area, which is still recovering from hurricanes, will be affected.

Chrysler has not publicly announced which dealerships it wants to ax. The company wants to notify dealers before speaking publicly, Chrysler spokeswoman Kathy Graham said, according to a story by The Associated Press.

According to a story today in The Wall Street Journal, Chrysler dealers began receiving letters today telling them what will happen to their dealerships. The Journal said one dealer said Chrysler wants to close the dealerships within 30 to 60 days.

Here’s an excerpt from the AP story:

The company, in a motion filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York, said many of the dealers’ sales are too low. Just more than 50 percent of the dealers account for about 90 percent of the company’s U.S. sales, the motion said.

The move, which the dealers can appeal, is likely to cause devastating affects in cities and towns across the country as thousands of jobs are lost and taxes are not paid.

When the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection April 30, New Orleans area Chrysler dealerships tried to look on the bright side.

“I think in the long run it’s going to be the only way Chrysler can survive,” Ray Brandt, owner of Harvey-based Ray Brandt Dodge Chrysler Jeep, said in a May 1 CityBusiness story. “I just think that this is the most positive move Chrysler could make at this time.”•

The end of Coconut Beach?

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

No one knows what will happen to Coconut Beach, the West End beach volleyball complex, as the Corps of Engineers considers acquiring some — perhaps all — of the site in the name of flood protection.

The corps wants to build a pump station in the area. The owner of Coconut Beach doesn’t know how much land the corps will acquire, but he said he learned this week that his entire site could be taken over.

“We have known for a while that they could use some of our land, and they’ve already told us they would use the least amount of land that they could,” Coconut Beach owner Bruce White told CityBusiness Wednesday. “We found out on Monday that the (corps’) acquisition department is trying to permanently acquire all of the land that includes all of the sand volleyball complex, all of the buildings that we use to house all of our equipment, the bar and grill and part of the parking lot.”

White, according to the CityBusiness story, said he and his business partners have spent more than $800,000 rebuilding and expanding the complex since Hurricane Katrina.

CityBusiness is waiting to get a comment from the corps.

It’s another example of businesses who face being put out of business as the New Orleans area is rebuilt. Mid-City businesses and residents are in a similar situation, facing a possible date with the wrecking ball to build a medical complex.•

Shreveport sweetens the pot for filmmakers

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

The New Orleans area has lured a lot of filmmakers in recent years, and the success of films like “Ray” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” has undoubtedly made the city attractive to others in Hollywood.

But the competition to attract the movie industry is heating up across the state, as well as in other parts of the country.

According to media reports, Shreveport will soon refund sales taxes companies pay when they shoot movies in the north Louisiana city. The rebates, which are up to $150,000, apply to films, TV shows and commercials and music videos with budgets of at least $300,000, according to a story by The Associated Press.

In this race to lure movie and TV productions, how much more are Louisiana governments willing to give away to attract the film industry?•

Venezuela makes troubled waters for Tidewater

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

New Orleans-based Tidewater Inc. is in the news today after the government of Venezuela reportedly seized some of the company’s ships.

According to news reports, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has taken control of the assets of 60 oilfield service companies, including Tidewater, using a law passed by the national assembly last week.

“Petroleos de Venezuela SA, the state oil company, is pressing foreign service companies to lower rates as growing debts hamper oil output,” The Times-Picayune reported.

In a CityBusiness story today, Tidewater spokesman Joe Bennett said the Venezuelan government is operating the Tidewater vessels. “This situation is very, very difficult to understand,” he said. “There are more unanswered questions than anything that’s been answered so far.”

The company is expected to talk more about the issue when it has its quarterly conference call, which just so happens to be scheduled for Thursday.•

Will New Orleans mall finally be redeveloped?

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

The redevelopment of Lake Forest Plaza is one of those projects that has gone nowhere since Hurricane Katrina shut down the mall more than three years ago.

But is something finally happening at the eastern New Orleans site?

According to a story in The Times-Picayune, the owner of the mall agreed Friday to repay to the city a delinquent loan he and he former business partners owe.

Ashton Ryan Jr., president of First NBC Bank, bought Gowri Kailas out of the project this year and said he has assembled some investors who can repay the city and build a new shopping mall, according to the TP.

For paying back the city, the project could get some financial help. The TP story says the city has agreed to support the creation of a tax increment financing, also known as TIF, district at the mall. “The city also has agreed to forgive $1.2 million in interest and $165,000 in penalties owed by Ryan’s company, Lake Forest Plaza LLC, provided that it meets certain benchmarks for redeveloping the mall. Those benchmarks were not described in the agreement,” the story says.

That’s not the only support the city will give to the project.

“Nagin also pledged $1 million to relocate utility and sewer lines and to make other infrastructure improvements at the site. The mayor also agreed to support Ryan’s application for tax-exempt Gulf Opportunity Zone bonds, an incentive Congress created to spur private investment in the region after Katrina,” the story says.

I’d like to see the developers’ market analysis for this project. Are there enough residents back in eastern New Orleans to support it?•

Blakely’s ‘cranes’ comment never forgotten

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

It’s a matter of opinion whether city recovery director Ed Blakely, who said he wants to go back home to Australia by July 1, was effective.

But here’s something everyone will agree on: Blakely’s most famous quote as recovery director.

It was March 2007 when Blakely uttered the following words that the public never let him live down:

“By September, we want to see cranes on the skyline.”

Blakely was not referring to birds — although every now and then I hear someone joke that Blakely must have meant birds, because those are the only kinds of cranes they see around here — but to construction equipment.

Here’s a look at a handful — there are lots more — of articles and blog postings that mention Blakely’s most famous saying.

• Almost two years later, few cranes seen on New Orleans skyline

• NOLA bloggers find missing cranes on city skyline

• Dr. Blakely ahead of schedule

• Ed Blakely, you’re in trouble

• Big plans are slow to bear fruit in New Orleans

• The savior of New Orleans?

Just can’t resist those pet projects

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

Things aren’t looking too good for Louisiana in the upcoming budget year. The state is projected to have a $1.3 billion drop in general fund revenue, which means cuts are inevitable.

But according to a story today by The Associated Press, a House committee “wrapped up its work on next year’s $27 billion budget, reversing some planned cuts and adding more than 150 of their own pet projects.”•

Quiett: N.O. is a ‘model’ for disaster recovery

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

I found this quote in a New York Times story, published today, on the upcoming departure of New Orleans recovery chief Ed Blakely.

The quote was made by Ceeon Quiett, Mayor Ray Nagin’s spokewoman.

“We are a model for other cities in disaster response and recovery,” Quiett said.•

Blakely ready to check out

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

The city’s recovery director sounds like he’s had enough of his job.

According to news reports, Ed Blakely is ready to be gone “as soon as I can.” It appears he will be back home in Sydney, Australia, by July 1.

This morning, while digging around in the CityBusiness archives, I came across this excerpt from a story written by one of our reporters, Jaime Guillet:

When Blakely publicly accepted the job of executive director of recovery management for the city of New Orleans on the morning of Dec. 4, 2006, he never set a limit for his time in the city, instead saying, “I’ll finish when all of you think I’m finished.”

The city is still far from being totally recovered. Although much has been rebuilt in the past three or so years since Katrina, much work remains. And there aren’t too many cranes in the sky, despite Blakely’s prediction that there would be by September 2007.

But some people are not sad to see him go.

Wrote someone using the name uptownjerk on nola.com:

THANK GOD!!!! Why did it take this long for it to happen? The man has done absolutly nothing except lie and steal from the good people of New Orleans.•

Another TV series about New Orleans

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

It looks like New Orleans will once again be the backdrop for a television drama.

HBO plans to start airing “Treme,” named after the neighborhood adjacent to the French Quarter, in the fall of 2010. The series is about the ongoing recovery from Katrina, according to a story by The Associated Press.

“‘Treme’ centers on New Orleans residents – including musicians and a restauranteur – living in the city’s Treme district. Show follows the characters as they look to reclaim their lives as the city continues to rebuild,” according to a Variety.com story.

Since Katrina, some television execs have seen New Orleans as good subject matter. Fox, for example, launched “K-Ville,” in 2007, but the show was canceled, apparently because of the writers strike.

Will “Treme” have a longer lifespan?•

Jeff council must choose beautification or alleviation

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

The Jefferson Parish Council could soon decide whether to lower the amount of money it collects from businesses and property owners who lease parish rights of way along Veterans Memorial Boulevard.

Many businesses rely on the land for parking, and the parish is required by law to charge them to use it. The money goes toward beautifying Veterans’ medians.

Parish Councilman Tom Capella is scheduled to announce at 3:30 p.m. today a proposed ordinance to reduce the lease payments by 30 percent for two years. Capella said the businesses could use the break during the recession. Click here to read a CityBusiness story on the issue.

But reducing the collections would mean less money to beautify Veterans.

It makes one wonder what the council will do. Will council members choose to alleviate the pain of businesses who are going through a recession? Or will they decide that beautification of the parish is more important?

There certainly has been a focus lately on making the parish more beautiful.

Last year, the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, also known as JEDCO, released a report, “Jefferson Edge 2020 Strategic Implementation Plan: Beautification,” that talked about the need to improve the look of the parish. You can find the report on JEDCO’s Web site.

“Visible decay signals disinvestment and can function as an early warning signal to residents that a move to a different area would be prudent. On the other hand, a tidy, aesthetically pleasing neighborhood offers tangible evidence of prosperity and desirability,” the report says.

Since Hurricane Katrina, sculptures have popped up on Veterans, in another attempt to improve the heavily commercial corridor’s aesthetics.

“It’s part of a beautification plan aiming to soften the look of major traffic corridors, inserting sculpture gardens into the medians amid the hodgepodge of parking lots, drainage canals, commercial signs and power lines,” The Times-Picayune reported in a Jan. 14 story.

While Capella’s ordinance would mean less dollars to make Veterans pretty, there’s no denying the financial impact his proposal would have on property owners along Veterans who stand to save thousands of dollars.

According to a parish report, Eggroll House, at 3507 Veterans, for example, pays $5,6o0 a year to lease the right of way from the parish. If the ordinance is adopted, it would pay $3,920.

Talk about good fortune.•

Too much government intrusion in Louisiana?

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

If a bill passes the Louisiana Legislature, doctors in Louisiana will be immune from civil and criminal penalties if they refuse to provide services — such as abortions –because of religious or moral beliefs.

If other bills pass this session, smoking would be banned in any restaurant or bar in the state.

Yet another bill would ban cell phones in automobiles unless a hands-free device is used.

Readers, is this too much government intrusion in Louisiana, or will these laws make us a better state?•

Saints deal not in the end zone yet

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

A deal to keep the city’s NFL team could kick off redevelopment of a corner of downtown.

But the deal is not in the end zone yet. The question remains: Will the deal pass the sniff test with lawmakers from other parts of the state?

State lawmakers must still OK spending $85 million to improve the Louisiana Superdome.  The state would spend millions more to lease office space at Dominion Tower, a high-rise next to the Dome that Saints owner Tom Benson’s family plans to buy. Dominion Tower has been shuttered since Hurricane Katrina. Benson’s family would also buy the adjacent New Orleans Centre mall, which “could become a sports, music or entertainment venue similar to L.A. LIVE near the Staples Center in Los Angeles,” The Associated Press reported.

Here’s more from the AP story:

State and local officials and Benson said the plan is in the best interest of everyone involved: giving the Saints’ home an upgrade beyond those it got after the 2005 storm; saving the state, by one measure, more than $280 million over its life than its current agreement with the team; and the city the seeds for what local business leaders believe could become a vibrant sports and entertainment district. State lawmakers must still agree to at least the Superdome improvements provision.

But not all state lawmakers like the deal. Here’s an excerpt from another AP story:

But some questioned whether the state should spend $85 million on Superdome upgrades like suites and concession stands to help the Saints bring in more money, while planning state cuts to health and education because of a budget shortfall.

“We’re backsliding in favor of a welfare check to a millionaire so he can become a billionaire,” said Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin.•