[StBernard] LRA Progress Report - April 25, 2008

[Westley Annis]

In this issue:


*	Home investment in New Orleans tops $1 billion
*	UNO Lakefront Arena plans grand re-opening
*	Library conference returns to New Orleans
*	New Orleans nearly doubles number of visitors in one year

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Home investment in New Orleans tops $1 billion

The Federal National Mortgage Association says its investment in underwriting or refinancing home loans since Hurricane Katrina has reached $40 billion in the Gulf Coast region. $1 billion of that is in New Orleans.

A director for the government-sponsored, publicly traded company known as Fannie Mae said the investment in New Orleans is significant given post-storm uncertainties about the housing market and the economy. Fannie Mae has also announced the availability of an additional $48.8 million in New Orleans. The money will be targeted to affordable housing, including rental units and condos expected to come to market later this year.

*	Click here for more about Fannie Mae <http://www.fanniemae.com/index.jhtml> 


Library conference returns to New Orleans

The American Library Association (ALA) announced this week that it will hold its 2011 and 2018 annual conventions in New Orleans.

In 2006, the ALA annual convention was the first city-wide meeting held in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Nearly 17,000 librarians and library supporters attended that convention. In addition, ALA members gave back to the city by signing up for more than 22 volunteer projects to help restore local libraries and assist with Habitat for Humanity, Common Ground and other community-building efforts.

"When ALA went to New Orleans in 2006, people thought we were crazy," said ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels. "The coming of the librarians ended up being one of the biggest national news stories of the year. We showed the country that librarians are serious about building community. The people of New Orleans were wonderful, and we had one of the most moving experiences and exciting conferences in our history. We're ! really looking forward to returning to one of America's most wonderful - and exotic - cities."

The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest library association in the world with some 65,000 members, primarily school, public, academic and some special librarians, but also trustees, publishers, and friends of libraries. The Association's mission is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.


*	Click here for more about the American Library Association <http://www.ala.org/> 
	

UNO Lakefront Arena plans grand re-opening

Disney's High School Musical - the Ice Tour will be the first show to take the stage at the newly refurbished University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena early next month. The official grand re-opening will be May 2, 2008 at 6:00 p.m., one hour before the show. Lakefront Arena officials say the events-section will be complete in time for the re-opening. The remainder of the facility will be completed shortly thereafter.

*	Click here for more on shows scheduled at UNO's Lakefront Arena
	<http://arena.uno.edu> 

New Orleans nearly doubles number of visitors in one year

The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau reports that 7.1 million people visited the city in 2007, up from 3.7 million in 2006. That's a 48 percent increase.

The survey, conducted by the University of New Orleans Hospitality Research Center for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation shows that visitors spent $4.8 billion in 2007, compared to just $2.8 billion in 2006.



*	Click here for more about the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau <http://www.neworleanscvb.com/index.cfm>