NOLA Officials Break Ground On New Police Station In Algiers

From the City of New Orleans:

March 9, 2021

Mayor LaToya Cantrell today joined other officials to celebrate the opening work on the New Orleans Police Department’s $7.7 million 4th District station in Algiers.

“This groundbreaking represents three major infrastructure projects in Algiers. We’re excited to begin construction on the new NOPD 4th District station and look forward to getting work started next door on the New Orleans Fire Department 8th District station. They both run along Wall Boulevard as one of the 11 corridors of the Moving New Orleans Bikes’ Algiers bikeway network that provides 11 miles of protected lanes across Algiers,” said Mayor Cantrell.

[WATCH: NOPD 4th District station groundbreaking]

“I would like to thank Mayor Cantrell for her continued support of the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department. It’s projects like this that demonstrate Mayor Cantrell continues to have our back and is behind us 100 percent. When the Mayor and City Council work to provide such a significant investment in NOPD, it is an enormous morale boost for our officers. Having two public safety agencies joined in the same complex will undoubtedly lead to better, more efficient communication and may very well lead to saving more lives,” said Shaun Ferguson, Superintendent, New Orleans Police Department.

“There is an unprecedented amount of infrastructure work happening in our city, both on our roadways and vertical construction projects. For the first time in more than five years, the City has approved nearly $300 million in bonds for a tax-exempt sale, which will lead to multiple projects out for advertisement in the coming months. These projects will improve our public spaces, add more stormwater storage and fix more streets. Additionally, we will have about $110 million in Joint Infrastructure roadway projects, $10 million in capital building projects, and $100 million in green infrastructure projects out for bid in the next few months. All of these investments are truly making our city stronger and more resilient each day,” said Ramsey Green, Deputy CAO for Infrastructure.

“This new, modern NOPD Fourth District Police Station and soon to be firehouse will use the latest technology to address the safety and emergency response rescue needs of the people it serves in Algiers. It's also a facility that the community can be proud of because it's an example of the City’s continued effort to investing in public safety and ensuring every neighborhood is a better place to live, work and raise families,” said Kristin Gisleson Palmer, City Councilmember, District C.

“Capital Projects is honored to participate in the construction of this new, 18,000 square foot, state-of-the-art, police station. The station will be co-located with a new, two-story, 9,000 square foot, 4-bay, NOFD 8th District fire station that will begin construction in the fall of this year. It is our expectation that the co-location of these public safety facilities will lead to better coordination when responding to emergencies,” said Vincent A. Smith, Director, Capital Projects Administration.

“The Algiers Economic Development Foundation is excited to celebrate today's groundbreaking of the new 4th District New Orleans Police Department station. We welcome the 4th District officers to their new home on Wall Boulevard, a central location where officers can connect to the entire Algiers community quickly and easily. We’re thrilled to see this major public investment in our community; our organization looks forward to continued partnership with the City of New Orleans and the NOPD 4th District,” said Kelsey Foster, Executive Director, ‎Algiers Economic Development Foundation.

Mayor Cantrell also was joined by Capt. Lawrence Dupree of the 4th District.

The City also broke ground recently on the new NOFD headquarters in Mid-City.

Funding is nearly evenly divided between FEMA ($3.2 million), and City bonds ($4.5 million). The new station amenities include a reception area, community conference room, offices, break room, storage, locker room, showers, elevator, and ADA-accessible restrooms. The station will also have an elevated generator/mechanical platform, stormwater retention site elements, and energy-efficient HVAC system, energy-efficient appliances and LED lighting systems.

The project team includes Holly and Smith Architects, FH Meyers Construction, and Capital Projects Administration Project Manager Palmer Rinehart. The project is expected to wrap up mid-March 2022.

In the next few months, the City will have approximately $110 million worth of Joint Infrastructure projects going out to bid, including projects in Gentilly, New Orleans East, the Bywater, Mid-City, West End, and Uptown. In the next couple months, the City will have approximately $10 million worth of capital projects going out to bid. This includes NOPD 1st District Police Station Exterior HMGP renovations and renovations at the NOPD Firing Range. And in the next couple months, the City will have approximately $100 million worth of green infrastructure projects through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and HUD-funded Gentilly Resilience District.

Under the Cantrell Administration, the City’s capital investment in facilities and parks in District C totals $48.1 million. Completed Projects in District C include:

• Claiborne Ave Fence Installation – $380,000
• Algiers Courthouse Restoration Phase II – Structural Repairs – $1.3 million
• Behrman Park Improvements – $150,476
• Brechtel Memorial Park Improvements (Lagoon Repairs/Improvements) – $1.2 million
• Riverfront Master Plan & Tricentennial Plaza – $6 million

Upcoming District C Projects include:

• Treme Center Improvements-Elevator – $428,300 (Start construction in Q2-2021)
• NOFD 8th District Headquarters – $545,610 (Start construction in Q2-2021)
• Behrman Center Renovations-Pool – $4.2 million (Start construction in Q4-2021)
• Algiers Courthouse Parking Lot Resurfacing – $350,000 (Start construction in Q4-2021)

This press release was produced by the City of New Orleans. The views expressed are the author's own.