[StBernard] LRA Planning Session to Rebuild Arabi Begins March 7

[Westley Annis]

LRA Planning Session to Rebuild Arabi Begins March 7 Blanco encourages
residents to participate in planning sessions across South Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. - The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) will hold a
rebuilding planning session, or "charrette," in St. Bernard Parish from
March 7 to 15, 2006. The charrette is the forum in which Andres Duany, of
Duany Plater-Zyberk (DPZ) Architects and Town Planners, works with local
leaders and citizens to gather input to incorporate into a long-term
building plan for an area. This charrette is one of several opportunities
for Louisiana citizens and community organizations to have an impact on the
Louisiana Speaks planning effort for rebuilding South Louisiana.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for citizens of our state to make
their dreams about their hometowns become a reality. We have the best urban
and rural planning minds at our disposal. I urge everyone to take full
advantage of this chance to help design the future communities of
Louisiana," said Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco.

The public is encouraged to attend the following sessions:

*	Opening presentation on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 at 6 p.m. at the St.
Bernard Court House, located at 1101 West Saint Bernard Highway Chalmette,
LA 70043;
*	Pin-up and design review session on Friday, March 10, 2006 at 6:00
p.m. in the Crescent Room at the Wyndham Canal Place, located at 100 Rue
Iberville New Orleans, LA 70130 and;
*	Final closing presentation on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 at 6:00 p.m.
at the Saint Bernard Court House. 

The charrette studio will be at the Crescent Room in the Wyndham Canal
Place, located at 100 Rue Iberville New Orleans, LA 70130. For a more
detailed schedule, visit www.louisianaspeaks.org
<http://keelson.eatel.net/websites/la.gov/action.cfm?md=communication&task=a
ddClick&msg_ID=1118&ID=d%3Ei%24e%2CiqnfnJ&redirect=http://www.louisianaspeak
s.org> . 

These charrettes represent the next phase of the Louisiana Speaks planning
effort, which is a multi-faceted planning process designed to develop a
sustainable long-term vision for South Louisiana in the wake of the
destruction caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In the first phase of
this effort, the LRA partnered with FEMA Long Term Community Recovery (LTCR)
Teams and local officials to develop parish-level recovery plans for 19 of
the most heavily impacted parishes in South Louisiana. These parish recovery
plans will be used to set funding priorities for the recovery effort and
will also be used to form a baseline for the regional vision.

On January 19, Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and the LRA introduced the
state's team of world-renowned planners, designers and architects as the
second phase of the Louisiana Speaks planning effort. The DPZ planning team
began its work in Lake Charles and then worked in Vermilion Parish in the
towns of Erath, Delcambre and Abbeville. Workshops by Urban Design
Associates were also recently held in Hammond, Lafayette and Baton Rouge.

"With input from local residents next week, we will plan options for
building a safer, stronger and smarter community in Arabi," said Andres
Duany of DPZ.


"Our residents are anxious to return home to St. Bernard Parish. This is a
wonderful gift to our community and it will help us rebuild for the future.
We are engaged in the planning process and we are ready to make Arabi a
vibrant community again," said Parish President Henry "Junior" Rodriguez. 

For further information, visit the website at www.louisianaspeaks.org
<http://keelson.eatel.net/websites/la.gov/action.cfm?md=communication&task=a
ddClick&msg_ID=1118&ID=d%3Ei%24e%2CiqnfnJ&redirect=http://www.louisianaspeak
s.org>  or the Louisiana Recovery Authority website at www.lra.louisiana.gov
<http://keelson.eatel.net/websites/la.gov/action.cfm?md=communication&task=a
ddClick&msg_ID=1118&ID=d%3Ei%24e%2CiqnfnJ&redirect=http://www.lra.louisiana.
gov> 

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, destroying more than
200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses and inflicting about $25 billion in
insured losses. 

The LRA is a 26-member body appointed by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
to identify and prioritize short- and long-term needs of the recovery. It
will seek out and value local input as it plans and implements the recovery.


The LRA is supported by the LRA Support Foundation, a private, nonprofit
organization that has raised private funds to secure the current team of
world-renowned planners and experts who are responsible for developing plans
for rebuilding South Louisiana. 




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