WHO WE ARE
The French Quarter Management District is a political subdivision of the state of Louisiana pursuant to La. R.S. 25:796, et seq. The District was created in 2007 by Act No. 280 of the 2007 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, as amended by Act No. 782 of the 2008 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature.
CREATION OF THE DISTRICT:
Though spared from significant flood water damage from Hurricane Katrina, both the image and the infrastructure of the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle were damaged during the storm and its aftermath. The French Quarter became a staging area for waves of responders following the storm. At times, the Quarter appeared to be a war zone with military troops and vehicles patrolling its fragile, narrow streets. Instead of evoking images of fine dining, shopping for antiques and art or laissez les bon temps roulez (“Let the good times roll!”), after Katrina media articles and photos depicted the cornerstone of Louisiana’s tourism industry as a place of lawlessness and despair. The area’s tarnished, post-Katrina image — that continues to linger — negatively affected the amount of tourism, convention business and locals that visit the area, causing some restaurants and shops to permanently close their doors. The Louisiana Legislature created the French Quarter Management District to revitalize the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle and address the post-Katrina and systemic issues confronting the two neighborhoods.
As separate post-Katrina recovery initiatives, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin, through Virginia Boulet and Darryl Berger, Jr., and the New Orleans hospitality and tourism industry, primarily through the leadership and members of the Louisiana Restaurant Association and New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc., organized groups to create an economic recovery district for the French Quarter and its surrounding area. Senator Edwin R. Murray brought the two groups together. He subsequently authored the legislation that created the French Quarter Management District in La. R.S. 25:796, et seq., as a political subdivision of the state of Louisiana (Act No. 280 of the Regular Session of the 2007 Louisiana Legislature, as amended by Act No. 782 of the Regular Session of the 2008 Louisiana Legislature). The Louisiana Legislature also appropriated $50,000.00 to the District for the 2007-2008 fiscal year.
The appointment process was completed in January 2008. Thereafter, on January 28, 2008, the Board of Commissioners of the French Quarter Management District held its first meeting.
Essentially, the District encompasses: a) all of the French Quarter, b) the majority of the Marigny Triangle, and c) on the lake side of the French Quarter, a sliver of the Treme that includes Armstrong Park. The District overlaps the Downtown Development District (DDD) between the center line of Canal Street and the center line of Iberville Street.
The official boundaries of the District, as described in its enabling legislation, are:
- The Mississippi River,
- The Center line of Canal Street,
- The rear property line of properties fronting on the lake side of North Rampart Street (in the Treme and/or DDD),
- The rear property line of properties fronting on the downriver side of Esplanade Avenue,
- The rear property line of properties fronting on the lake side of Royal Street,
- The rear property line of properties fronting on the upriver side of Touro Street,
- The rear property line of properties fronting on the lake side of North Rampart Street (in the Marigny Triangle), and
- The center line of Elysian Fields Avenue to the Mississippi River.
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE French Quarter Management District:
A thirteen member Board of Commissioners governs the District. Only one member, the chair of the Vieux Carre Commission or the chair’s designee, is an ex officio member. The other twelve members are appointed by the following elected officials and organizations:
- Mayor of New Orleans appoints two members,
- New Orleans City Council member representing District “C” appoints one member,
- Vieux Carre Property Owners, Residents and Associates, Inc., appoints one member,
- Louisiana Restaurant Association, Inc., appoints one member,
- Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association, Inc., appoints two members,
- French Quarter Business Association of Louisiana appoints one member,
- Bourbon Street Merchants Association appoints one member,
- French Quarter Citizens, Inc., appoints one member,
- Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association, Inc., appoints one member, and
- New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc., appoints one member.
The officers and members of the Board of Commissioners of the French Quarter Management District are as follows:
- Kimberly Rosenberg, Chair, appointee of City Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer
- Lois Sutton, Vice-Chair, appointee of French Quarter Business Assoication
- Carol Greve, Treasurer, appointee of French Quarter Citizens, Inc.
- Robert Watters, Secretary, appointee of the Bourbon Street Merchants Association
- Darryl Berger, Sr., appointee of Mayor Mitchell Landrieu
- Dr. Ralph Lupin, Chair Vieux Carre Commission
- Chuck Dunn, appointee of Vieux Carre Property Owners, residents and Associates, Inc.
- Steve Pettus, appointee of the Louisiana Restaurant Association
- Peter Ambros, appointee of the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association, Inc.
- Al Groos, appointee of the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association
- Theodore Young, appointee of Mayor Mitchell Landrieu
- Chris Costello, appointee of Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association
- Sal Sunsei, appointee of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Vistitors Bureau, Inc.
The Board of Commissioners generally meets the first Monday of every month from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. The 2009 meeting dates are: January 5, February 2, March 2, April 6, May 4, June 1, July 6, August 3, September 14, October 5, November 2 and December 7.
All meetings are open to the public unless the Board is in executive session. Meeting locations rotate among a variety of hotels and offices in the District. Agendas are posted at the meeting place and at the District Office located at 100 Conti Street. The meeting location and/or an agenda of the next Board meeting may be obtained by emailing mboyer@darrylberger.com.