At its April 23 meeting, Port NOLA (New Orleans) Board of Commissioners adopted the PIER Plan (Port NOLA Inner Harbor Economic Revitalization Plan) which is a collaborative vision to revitalize Inner Harbor Industrial corridor, create jobs for area residents, and increase commercial activity.
The PIER Plan is a collaborative planning project with New Orleans city and focuses on the future development of NOLA Inner Harbor. It was funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Key partners also include the Regional Planning Commission, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. The diverse stakeholder panel helped in providing input and feedback over the course of 2 years of data gathering, public meetings, and analysis.
According to Brandy D. Christian, President and CEO of Port of New Orleans and CEO of New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, “Together with tenants, operators and partners, Port NOLA serves as an economic catalyst that drives global trade and local prosperity. The PIER Plan and its focus on the Inner Harbor will guide the Port’s short, medium, and long-term goals toward that prosperity."
He added they knew that revitalization and future development could not be done in a vacuum, and were "gratified to engage and work with a diverse range of stakeholders in the process.”
Port NOLA Strategic Master Plan, which was adopted back in 2018, laid out a vision for the next twenty years and a roadmap for growth identifying a need for regional freight-based economic development. The planning effort provided a framework for the PIER Plan.