3 Questions with Shawn Barney

1. What sort of progress can we expect to see at the River District through the next few months??We are looking forward to continuing our excellent progress in developing the site's infrastructure. We are preparing the essential grid that will support the site for decades to come. Additionally, we're preparing to begin work on the site's first vertical and continuing our work with capital partners to finance the first phase of our residential development, which includes a substantial affordable housing commitment. It's a process, but we are moving the needle.?

2. What does "A Neighborhood For All" mean to you, personally??Like many on our team, I am a New Orleans native. In this city, inclusion and monumental progress cannot exist without each other. I co-founded the Campaign for Equity New Orleans to demonstrate that important conversations can and should be had by system leaders and influencers so that our whole community can take a step forward together. At the River District, we have the opportunity to set a standard and we are taking that seriously. The River District program we are contemplating will influence who feels welcome, both tourists and neighbors alike.

3. What do you want folks to remember about the project today??As the?largest public-private partnership in the city's history, River District represents a unique opportunity for engagement, collaboration, and investment from a wide range of stakeholders. In addition to building a broad coalition of support and bringing a long-dormant property back into commerce, it is our chance to show our friends and neighbors that New Orleans can indeed win again.? In the process, we can be a model for the nation of what progress intelligently planned looks like.