The Greater Good: BioDistrict New Orleans Calls for Tulane Avenue Upgrades Including New Transit Stations and Landscaping and Lighting Improvements
The strategic plan includes collaborating with Tulane University and other stakeholders to revive the stalled Charity Hospital redevelopment and investing in biosciences entrepreneurs and workforce development initiatives. An early priority will be improving the infrastructure along Tulane Avenue, which runs through the district, to make it greener, safer and more attractive. The BioDistrict plans to partner with the RTA to create the new bus shelters, in addition to installing green infrastructure to help with water management and creating new crosswalks along Tulane between the medical district and Carrollton Avenue. Moving forward, the BioDistrict must seek plan approval from the City Planning Commission and then return to the Council to have the budget approved.
In March 2024, BioDistrict’s Board of Directors approved their Strategic Master Plan. In the six months prior, the Board of Directors engaged in a strategic planning effort designed to create a shared vision for the BioDistrict and a district-wide strategy to guide the BioDistrict in fulfilling its mission to grow the biosciences industry in Greater New Orleans to create jobs and economic opportunity for all New Orleanians. The Strategic Planning effort was supported by the New Orleans Community Support Foundation (NOCSF), a supporting organization of the Greater New Orleans Foundation; the City of New Orleans; the Downtown Development District; and the Kresge Foundation.
In November 2023, the Louisiana State Bond Commission unanimously approved a cooperative endeavor agreement with the BioDistrict New Orleans for economic development revenue sharing, following prior unanimous approval on October 18 by the state’s Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. This agreement paves the way for a $25 million match of the City of New Orleans’ $70.65 million revenue sharing agreement with the BioDistrict (which was approved in 2022) over the next 17 years.