This land is your land

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

Louisiana Economic Development and Entergy’s Louisiana economic development division today announced the launch of an online database designed to help businesses find available sites in the state.

LED and Entergy say the Site Selection Center, at Louisianasiteselection.com/LED and OpportunityLouisiana.com/sites, will enhance economic development. The database currently lists more than 400 properties, according to a press release.

LED Secretary Stephen Moret called it “a state-of-the-art resource that makes Louisiana more competitive and makes it easier to attract investment in communities throughout our state.”

The database, which combines demographic and business data with geographic information system mapping technology, allows users to zoom in on high-resolution aerial photographs of available sites. The online resource also provides information on:

- state incentives available to businesses that locate or expand operations;
- rail, water and highway access transportation routes;
- community profiles and demographics; and
- surrounding businesses that could provide support and supplies.

Entergy developed the database with Microsoft Virtual Earth and offered it to the state free of charge via a public-private partnership.

“We and Louisiana Economic Development share the same goals, to bring new jobs, growth and prosperity to the communities in which we live and work,”  Renae Conley, president and CEO of Entergy’s Louisiana companies, said in the press release.

Shelley MacNary, director of Entergy’s economic development initiatives for its two Louisiana utilities, said the database features information sought after by site developers and businesses interested in locating to, or expanding operations in, the state.

“It positions Louisiana as a serious contender for new business and economic opportunities,” MacNary said.

Entergy is not just partnering with the state. The company is also giving the New Orleans Downtown Development District access to the database to aid the city’s economic development efforts.

Henry Charlot, DDD director of economic development, said the partnership will save the DDD thousands of dollars, because the DDD no longer has to pay to host the data.

I went to the database this morning to check it out. For Orleans Parish, I found only one building listed, the former Universal Furniture building at 1111 S. Broad for $3.5 million. Only two sites were listed for Orleans Parish, one labeled Woodland Highway for $8.9 million and the other labeled Almonaster 97.55 Acres for $3.4 million. •