Audubon Hosts Public Meeting on Proposed Riverfront Park Development

Audubon Nature Institute is excited to share the outcome of community feedback that framed the vision for the space at Esplanade Avenue and Governor Nicholls Street wharves. 

On Monday, July 24, 2023, Audubon Commission will host a public meeting to provide an opportunity for the public to offer input on a draft of the schematic plans for development of the wharves into park and recreational space benefiting the community. This meeting will be held in the Audubon Aquarium and Audubon Insectarium event space, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. and is the final meeting prior to the submission of schematic plans to the City in early August. 

Delayed due to Covid, the plan harnesses the creative vision of Reinventing the Crescent and involves several governmental agencies and community associations in the area, including the City, working with Audubon Commission to convert the wharves into public park space. 

Riverfront for All will create one of the largest contiguous riverfront parks in the nation. The project is the final link from Crescent Park in the Bywater neighborhood to Spanish Plaza at the foot of Canal Street. 

"The history of New Orleans was written along the banks of the Mississippi River, creating a park that spans  two and a quarter miles, giving locals and visitors to the city a new experience on the riverfront,” said J. Kelly Duncan, Audubon Commission President. 

Audubon is partnering with Eskew + Dumez + Ripple, a widely recognized architectural firm known for planning projects with a dedication to community outreach, to design the space. 

The community feedback phase for this project began in 2018 with several meetings held across the city. The planning process has incorporated public input and involved examining alternatives to address recent nearby riverfront improvements, a review of comparative analysis of other successful waterfronts worldwide, and concept development. The submission and approval of the schematic plan are the next steps in the development process before design and construction processes get underway. 

If approved, construction could begin as soon as August 2024.