Nola Connection
Super Bowl Shine: What About the Rest of NOLA?
Join us in this episode as we dive deep into New Orleans' ambitious plans for a facelift ahead of Super Bowl LIX! While the spotlight shines on transforming landmarks like the Crescent City Connection with thousands of programmable bulbs, we’ll explore an important question: What about the rest of the city?
In this discussion, we’ll examine the ongoing challenges faced by various neighborhoods that have been in need of attention and repair for years. We'll hear from local residents, community leaders, and urban planners about the balance between beautifying the city for major events and addressing the pressing needs of its communities.
Tune in to discover how the soul of New Orleans can shine just as brightly as its marquee attractions and what must be done to ensure that all areas receive the care they deserve. Don’t miss this essential conversation on the future of our beloved Crescent City!
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- Duration:
- 27m
- Broadcast on:
- 01 Sep 2024
- Audio Format:
- mp3
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Yes, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Let me cut this off. For those who are listening, you can listen to NOLA connection on all major streaming platforms that's like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, iHeartRadio, wherever you listen to. If you have an iPhone, the Apple Podcast is free. It's free to subscribe to the podcast. Oh, this is free, it's free, so don't matter. Or you can go to the NOLA connection.com, that's my website, you can find it on there. Facebook, the NOLA connection. Twitter, well, X, formerly known as Twitter, the NOLA connection, even YouTube, the NOLA connection. Wherever you wanna listen to it, you can always check it out. Not only that, you can always email me. If you have anything you want to talk about, you wanna bring up, 'cause soonerly, I'm gonna be doing interviews. You can email me at jetset, nope, you know what? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You can email me at contact@thenoloconnexion.com. Contact the X on thenoloconnexion.com. I'm sorry, I was getting it mixed up. Man, I have a good one. The city of New Orleans, I'm gonna say this, man. Usually my tourists come down here, they love it, they love it. But then you have a handful with that, don't. Because they come from these rural areas or wherever they come from, and they used to hit the French quarters, and man, I tell you, it smelled like peep. It smelled like peep. And what it is, it's the liquor, the sewer. And at one time, the infrastructure, the ground, they busted up and fixed the pipes. The pipes hasn't been fixed since the 1800s. So that's where the pea smell used to come from. So if you ever visited New Orleans any time in the past, like we're gonna say five, 67 years ago, 10 years ago, you're like, man, it's stinking the French quarters, yeah, it used to, but they fixed it, they fixed it. Matter of fact, since Katrina, it's been a lot of, you know, stuff going on in the French quarters, the money maker. They made sure they got that street. They don't smell like pea anymore. They look more beautiful down there. So I give them that, but the rest of New Orleans, like New Orleans East, we have abandoned bridges that they closed down because they've been there for a while, they fall in the port, you know, you can't trust crossing it. You have New Orleans East, I said it in my last episode, it's just two up to the floor, man, it is bad, it's bad. I'm talking, banning buildings, blotted houses, chef Howie looked like Los Vegas Postro. Y'all sorry about that, that's my own. That's the master gunnery soldier, Sylvester Smith, retired, I call him leader, it's crazy. But Super Bowl coming, yeah, that's right. Super Bowl coming. So now all of a sudden, it's this major construction. The G&O bridge, yes, they have been fixed on the bridge off and on, but this time, they put a lot of money in the G&O bridge. They even have the lights on it. Oh, this is for 2025, then I finished. So if you're crossing that bridge at night, let's just see nighttime, 7 p.m., trying to go across, you're gonna be in bumper to bumper traffic. On the ground, Portia Street. Portia Street is where the Super Dawn at. One thing about New Orleans, I travel a lot, Los Vegas, well, New Orleans is unique, because let's just say you go to Vegas, then you wanna visit the convention center, you have to drive far, it's separate from the downtown area where everyone at. And New Orleans, and it's like this everywhere. From Las Vegas to California to New Orleans, everything is in one spot. And that's another thing tourists like, because if you come down here, there's the tour of New Orleans, the tour of spots, it's all in one area. The hotels, the French quarters, the CBD, which the Super Dawn located, Portia Street, that's one of the main street streets in the CBD. And on that, it's the Super Dawn. So yeah, you have the convention center on the other side of Portia's. On the other side of Portia, you have the convention center Boulevard. So you're going, I can see a mile or two, two, three miles, a port. So you have the Super Dawn on one side of Portia's. Then on the other side, probably three miles down, we're gonna say three miles. You have the convention center Boulevard with an upgraded convention center. Because if you didn't know, we have a total, all people know about is Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. That's what most people know about. But we have a total of 350 something or more, 360 something festivals a year, most of them local festivals. You know, you could come if you know about it, but most of the time it's just local stuff. And we have a total of over 300 conventions a year. So this is a big tour of spot. Well, lately the Super Dawn come. And they spending so much money, the doubt to beautify it up for the Super Dawn and have people upset. Because what about the rest of New Orleans? Now, okay, the cost to renovate the season Super Dawn in New Orleans, Louisiana for Super Bowl 2025 estimated to be around 500 million. The renovations includes the final phase of a $535 million dollar project. The Saints itself, the New Orleans Saints Alpha Ball team have committed to spending $200 million on the renovations, which include new escalators, replacements of old ramps with staircases and elevators, overhauls of kitchens, and stadium entrances, wow. The city capital budget will cover most of the work along with $7.5 million from the state. And earlier on the news, you know, the news have to, you know, they love controversy. They showing you how some of these bridges that we could use to cross. It can help with traffic, but they've never been fixed. We talking about bricks, chipping off. It could actually fall. Although you're not crossing the bridge, what if you're walking under a people walking, children playing? It's that bad. It's that bad. And New Orleans is planning on spending 40 million facelift for the city of hit a Super Bowl. Now, that's what's the construction going on now, but they say 40 million. I doubt I think it's more than 40 million because you have the LAX, which includes lights, the Crescent City connection. That's the bridge I was telling you about, with thousands of programmable bulbs. They didn't put that on the Crescent City bridge. You have the Superdorm Commission. It's also renovating the Caesar's Superdorm, which we spoke about. Now they say estimated 58 million worth of work remaining. Remaining New Orleans Saints are responsible for 41 million of the renovations remaining. So we spend a lot of money for Superdorm. Now, I will say this. It's gonna bring a lot of money to the city. It's gonna be a lot of money to the city. Lot of money. But what about areas that need to be fixed now before a tragic happened? I just did a video on Hurricane Katrina. Why? Because for some reason, I found out the reason why. I'm gonna speak about that. For some reason, they did a 19-year anniversary. I said 19. Whoa, wait a minute. Usually it's a 20-year anniversary. 10-year anniversary. Put 19. And I did a podcast on you, go back and check it out. And I mentioned something on there. I mentioned about the levees, breached. 'Cause for those who don't know, if you didn't know, water came after, and say this again, water came after Katrina passed. That's when New Orleans flooded. Listen, I don't know if you get what I'm saying. The hurricane passed. It, Katrina was gone. People stepped outside to assess, clean up. It was long enough to whether they was in the middle of getting a stuff together. This is why a lot of people died. This is one reason why a lot of people died. Next thing you know, here come a big 20-foot, a 10-20 foot. Owning a rental property sounds like a drink, collect a rent, and relax. 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Or call 303-974-9444 to speak with a rent estate advisor today. Because from now on, the only thing you need on your to-do list is to call Runners Warehouse. What's next? At Moss Adams, that question inspires us to help people and their businesses strategically define and claim their future. As one of America's leading, accounting, consulting, and wealth management firms, our collaborative approach creates solutions for your unique business needs. We leverage industry-focused insights with the collective technical resources of our firm to elevate your performance. Uncover opportunity and move upward at MossAtoms.com. - A water started flooding the city, mostly in poor areas. Now, I said this on Instagram. Same thing I said last time. I said, it's not even rumors. Actually, you could say allegedly of rumors because no one saw it, but we heard it. We heard booms, booms. Not boom like a car hit something or bored shit a levy. We heard blast, blast. Soon after the blast, like, what is that? What was that? We gonna see and spend on what you were at at the time. Here come the water. Now, people that were closer said they blew the levies. Why? So they could balance out water going to the garden district, going to show where the rich people at, and balance it out so it could come to the poor area. That's what people say. That's what a lot of, I cannot say, people that did studies say, that's what happened. Well, I put it on Instagram. It was this IG, I can't think of the name. They put up many documents, many about how, and I'm gonna get to that. That's why I made me get on the subject. And how the infrastructure was not, was bad. And it was, it was bad. And I said, no one mentioned the blast. Oh man, all of a sudden, I'm getting attacked, attacked, what's the proof? It's no proof of that, it's no proof. Of course it's no proof of that. If it was proof of that, we all will be rich. If it was proof of that, we will bankrupt the city with lawsuits. Of course it's no proof of it. Where's the proof? Where's the proof? Of course it's no proof. You don't have proof of anything. You don't have proof, they say a barge hit one of the levies and put a hole in it. What's the proof of that? But because officials say it is true. Where's the proof of that? Come on man, how you go, it was a person from New Orleans. I'm not gonna mention the name 'cause to me it was dumb. But they don't live in New Orleans, they live probably in the area. They know the area that was being protected off magazine. I think I've seen this man face before. Okay, let's get off that. Now what brings it up is the infrastructure. One of the main reasons, besides other reasons, a lot of people died that day. It's because they didn't fix the levies. The levies were bad, they were bad. They were not fixed, they was barely standing. And New Orleans politics been getting away with it forever. Not only that, the water pumps, most of them were broke. Yeah, most of them were the broken. And we talking about something that's been neglected for decades. And that was one of the main reasons caused a lot of people to die. Because you didn't, you wasn't proactive, you was re-active. You know what I'm saying? Why not fix those things before anything happens? Why? Because at the time, people was pocketing, you know, allegedly. Well, we can't say allegedly because a lot of politicians went to prison after that. I'm going to lie to you at least about three or four from the top of my dorm with the prison. Behind a lot of, they found a lot of corruption in New Orleans been going on. Now, I was about to say one part of the corruption used to benefit me. I speak on that hope I remember. And, so we have these bad bridges. We have, we have things need to be fixed before someone get hurt. And they darling up the city for Super Bowl. Don't get me wrong, I love New Orleans Saints. That's my, that's my, my Saints. Been die horse. It's a baby. But I think fixing a city is more important. And New Orleans is going to be New Orleans. I understand you want to dial it up. But New Orleans is going to be New Orleans. People going to love New Orleans. They're going to love our food. And that's another podcast I definitely want to get in. Our food is still the same even though we've been cultured, vultured with this new style of cooking. We still have authentic New Orleans cooking here. And when you get here, you need to look for the authentic New Orleans cooking. So I feel that's more important. But when I see, you know, I just want to do this in there. When I was young, 1920 driving, I love fast calls. Fast calls. I mean driving 75, 80, 30. That's the type of stuff I used to. Reckless reckless. Yeah, I know I was reckless. Get stopped. Get a big ticket. I'm talking about Jesus Christ. He used to be able to go. Well, like to say, what you do is you go in the line and you say, not guilty. I won't, I won't, I won't see the judge. They will give you a paperwork and you go see the judge. Standing outside, waiting to get in to see the judge. A man used to come out every time. I guess he had pick and choose who was who, you know, who to get. Let me see, let me see this. I'll show him the paper. It's about $800. I tell you what, you give me 400 and I walk up in there and all charges drop. Everything drop. Okay. No problem. Take it. Get a man at 400. He will walk in there. Come back with a paper showing. Everything is deleted. Now, I don't know who he talked to in there. But I, at the later on in life, I became an 18-wheeler on operator driving 18-wheelers. And I will have never survived with the tickets I used to get. But because of that, that one corruption, my record was clean and still clean. And, oh, I didn't realize it was corruption until later as I grew up. It's like, I said, that was illegal as hell. Yeah, man. Come outside. Hey, let me see your paper. Oh, it's 500. Give me 200 again. Oh, Cliff. And he will give you the paper letting you see. It's all clear. Yeah. That, that was, that was, that was the glory years, baby. I missed those years. Oh, but back to this. We have to do better people. We have to do better in many ways in the war. We have to do better in many ways. And wherever you at Louisiana and other places, we have to do better. That's why it's important to elect. You know, everyone talk about the presidential race. I'm going to be honest with you. In my opinion, they know who they're going to put in there. You know, because it's that electorate vote thingy thing. It never made sense to me. I know what it's about, but still, it never made sense to me. This is why I believe, no matter what, you have the dog and pony show. That's to make money because each side get millions, millions and millions don't need it. Each side get millions. Um, but I think they know who's going to be president. I really, I truly believe that. I'm not saying don't vote. I guess votes matter, but does it really, when you have a electoral votes? Does it matter or do the votes influence the electoral voters? You know, that type of stuff is interesting. Forget what they say. What's reality, but locally, locally is always important. Need you to understand this. When it comes to local politics, you definitely should get out there and vote. I don't care where you live in America. Your local politics is important to vote because that affects you immediately right away. And I don't think that's fixed. I don't believe I'm pretty sure that's not fixed. But you have to vote now. Some people might fix the polls, you know, you have to watch that. But locally, you must get out and vote. Take New Orleans for instance, take Louisiana. Most of the time, Democrat twin governor, but this time a Republican one. And I'm not blaming this on a Republican party. Before it's this guy. Oh, he's something. He came in blazing. Meaning if you if you if you had a love one in prison and you thought he can get a parole. Nah, he nicked that in the book. It's going to be hard to get parole now. All kinds of rules he put in place. Soon he stepped in that that that kind of hurt a certain people. Yeah, this is why you must vote locally. And get the right people in there that's going to do the bidding of the people. Now, I will admit. Given the city of facelift for the Super Bowl. Ah, it's 55th. I'm 50-50 on that. Because I know. Just like Mardi Gras. The Super Bowl might bring more money. Then again, I don't know. I mean, I might be stretching it because the Super Bowl. Yeah, it brings a lot of people. But man, for those who never been to Mardi Gras. Besides the people that live here, we probably have an extra million people. So, yeah, I know. I can't the Super Bowl probably can't compare to that. I mean, this city be shut down for the parades all over the city metro area. Pretty much the entire state almost. Well, in this area, I'm going to say the southern part of the state. I don't know what Streetport do in Monroe. I don't know. But the southern part of the state, Baton Rouge, Homer, places like that. Yeah, even those places. But New Orleans, the main part. Can't beat it. Can't beat it. Let me set my water. We have to vote people. And this might not seem serious to you. But it's serious because this is what happened with Katrina. You know, neglecting business, neglecting to fix what needed to be fixed. And you can't say they didn't know about it. They knew about it. They just didn't fix it. Not to mention it. Let's throw the blast in there too. I hope this don't come to bite us. Because I'm telling you, all attention is on Super Bowl right now. I tried riding up Porger's after midnight. After midnight and didn't know how to get by because of the construction. It's crazy. It's crazy. If we would be so vigilant with fixing New Orleans without that, oh, we'll be all right. We'll be all right, man. Thank y'all for listening. Once again, subscribe to the NOLA connection and one love. NOLA property sounds like a dream until you realize how much work goes into getting it ready. Determine a competitive rent price, market the property, schedule the showing screen, tenants drop at the lease at a rent collection, handle maintenance request, maintain communication. Whew! Sound complicated? Renner's Warehouse is here to take the hard work off your rental to-do list. Qualify tenants? Check. Rent collection? Check. Maintenance coordination? You got it. Go to Rennerswearhouse.com for a free rental analysis to find out how much your home can rent for. Or call 303-974-9444 because from now on, the only thing you need on your to-do list is to call Renner's Warehouse. What's next? At Moss Adams, that question inspires us to help people and their businesses strategically define and claim their future. As one of America's leading accounting, consulting and wealth management firms, our collaborative approach creates solutions for your unique business needs. We leverage industry-focused insights with the collective technical resources of our firm to elevate your performance. Uncover opportunity and move upward at MossAtoms.com.