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American Heritage Rivers
Keystone Project
Lower Mississippi - 1
Historic New Orleans High School Life Long Learning Center Program Expansion
Project Summary
Booker T. Washington High School, the oldest learning institution in New Orleans built specifically for African Americans during Segregation, has a student body that is 99% African American and other minorities, and the majority live in the surrounding public housing. Directly across the street from the school are 2 Brownfield sites. One is a large, unsightly, abandoned warehouse/loading dock facility that is plagued by illegal dumping and vandalism. The second is where the former Dixon Tomato Processing Plant once operated. This warehouse was demolished in 2001. The school is in an economically depressed area, cut off from more prosperous areas by interstate ramps, major thoroughfares, and the major railroad access in and out of the City. However, two outstanding features of Booker T. Washington are that it runs award winning vocational programs in horticulture and aquaculture among the over 20 vocational programs, and its auditorium was recently designated a historic building by the State of Louisiana.
In a unique partnership, the New Orleans Mayor's Office of Environmental Affairs (OEA) has used funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) of the two sites, which was conducted by United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE). Xavier University, which currently owns one of the sites, is willing to negotiate a long-term lease with the Orleans Parish School Board, so that the building can be converted into much needed additional space for Booker T. Washington's Life Long Learning Center programs. Letters from the owner of record and the mortgage holder of the second site have been received expressing their interest in donating the site to the New Orleans Parish Public School System.
Concentrated efforts are being directed to this project because of the high school's historical importance, and the potential of expanding its aquaculture and horticulture programs as well as all other Life Long Learning programs. Booker T. Washington was the first high school for African Americans in New Orleans and was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Further, it is the only school in New Orleans that has such an entrepreneurial program for its students.
Project Benefit
Conversion of the two sites into the public school district's Life Long Learning Center for Booker T. Washington High School students will provide many faceted benefits to the community. Some of these are:
The completed project is expected to be a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization. The site's return into the mainstream economy and removal of blight will enhance property values and encourage other property owners to renovate property in the area.
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The new Life Long Learning Center space will allow more students to participate in expanded programs.
This will provide increased opportunities and incentives for the students while in school and more job opportunities upon their graduation. -
Remediation will eliminate any onsite contaminants from seeping into the Mississippi River through groundwater migration and running off the site during rainstorms into Lake Pontchartrain, which provides recreational and job opportunities to the two million people in Greater New Orleans.
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Remediation will eliminate any onsite contaminants from seeping into the Mississippi River through groundwater migration and running off the site during rainstorms into Lake Pontchartrain, which provides recreational and job opportunities to the two million people in Greater New Orleans.
- Partnerships developed through the redevelopment process will serve as the basis for other important projects in the City of New Orleans, and perhaps as a model for other communities.
Current Partnerships
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Project Partner
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Contact Name
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Telephone
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Hudson River Valley Greenway Council (Key lead partner for State)
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Carmello Mantello
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518-873-3835
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City of New Orleans
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Rodney Littleton
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(504) 565-8115
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Orleans Parish School Board
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Ken Ducote, Director, Facility Planning
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(504) 942-3519
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Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District
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Larry Poindexter, Senior Project Manager
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(504) 862-2937
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VI
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Dorothy Crawford, Project Manager
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(214) 665-2739
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Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
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Duane Wilson, Environmental Specialist
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(225) 765-0463
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Project Stage/Status
Xavier University gave permission to conduct the ESA Phase I and II. USACOE managed the site assessments to their completion May 2002, with funding from EPA Region 6. The Chief Executive Officer of the Orleans Parish School Board and President of Xavier University have written letters expressing their desire to negotiate a long term lease agreement for the purpose of expanding Booker T. Washington's Life Long Learning Center programs.
An on-site meeting and walk-through was conducted in February 2000 with representatives of USACOE, Xavier University, Orleans Parish School Board, and OEA. A call to EPA was placed immediately after this site inspection to inform them of this activity. All parties agreed to work together toward redevelopment of the site, while USACOE performed the ESA, USACOE followed the work schedule with its contractor, Materials Management Group (MMG):
| March 31, 2000 |
Scope of work to contracting division
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April 12, 2000 |
Negotiate work to be contracted
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| April 14, 2000 |
Award task order
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| May 1, 2000 |
MMG proceeds
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| May 30, 2000 |
Draft Environmental Assessment report to Corps for review
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| June 16, 2000 |
Final report to be submitted
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| May 10, 2002 |
ESAs reports completed and received by OEA, School District, Xavier University
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| July 17, 2002 |
Booker T. Washington Auditorium listed on the National Register of Historic Places
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Cost Estimate:
$2,990,000.00
Phase I & II Environmental Site Assessment (funding from EPA) $40,000.00 - (Completed May 2002)
Remediation and cleanup of contaminants (to be identified in ESA) $200,000.00
Planning costs $250,000.00
Redevelopment costs (estimate-could be higher) $2,500,000.00
Current Funding Sources
Environmental Protection Agency
Resources Needed
Federal grants to fund planning, environmental remediation and cleanup
Federal and non-federal grants for construction/renovation of the Life Long Learning Center facility
Future funding for possible purchase of Dixon Tomato site by School Board
Proposed Champion Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Champion Partners:
U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Economic Development Administration
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
City of New Orleans
Orleans Parish School Board
Political Support
Senator John Breaux
Congressman William Jefferson
Senator Mary Landrieu
Mayor Ray C. Nagin, City of New Orleans
Other Initiatives Supported
Livability Initiative
Clean Water Action Plan
New Markets Initiative
Delta Initiative
River Navigator
Robert M. Atkin
Lower Mississippi River Navigator
U. S. Coast Guard
600 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Place, Room 415
Louisville, KY 40202-2287
502-625-7543; 502-625-7545 (fax)
Ratkin@dirauxlouisville.uscg.mil
Lower Mississippi - 2
Woodlands Trail and Park
Project Summary
One of the last stands of bottomland hardwoods in the Metropolitan New Orleans area is contained within a 10,000-acre peninsula formed by the Mississippi River in Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes. This area was previously referred to as "Cypress Swamps" on the British Army map of 1815. This wetland habitat has provided the area with abundant wildlife including a family of bald eagles. The Lower Coast Algiers/English Turn/Belle Chasse area is being pressed and stressed by ever-expanding urbanization and development. Over 600-acres of wetlands have been filled in this area, which is largely without public sewerage. This area contains historical ruins from the largest sugar mill and plantation in Orleans Parish as well as ruins from other plantations in both Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes, World War II Bunkers, Fort St. Leon, wetland areas, Algiers Locks, Algiers Pumping Station and opportunities to view ships entering the second largest port in the United States.
The Woodlands Trail and Park initiative is designed to:
Construct over 10-miles of bike pathway along the Mississippi River connecting Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes while providing improvements in drainage and infrastructure in this growing community;
Construct 15-miles of trails along the Mississippi River and within a bottomland hardwood forest for use by equestrians, hikers, birdwatchers and other outdoor enthusiasts;
Design and construct interpretive kiosks in both Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes regarding wetland environment, wildlife, migratory birds and cultural and historical sites;
Design and construct an Education Center to house artifacts and information about not only the cultural and military history of the region but also the history of the natural environment and responsible environmental stewardship;
Design and construct an Equestrian Center to provide not only a facility for teaching and showing but also house a therapeutic riding program that will integrate developmentally disabled individuals with their non-handicapped peers.
Project Benefit
Allow continuation of one of the last "legs" of the Mississippi River Trail, which starts at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Lake Itasca and is traveling 2,552-miles to the Gulf of Mexico.
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Preservation of corridors of green space that provide habitat for wildlife.
Allow extension of the Great Louisiana Birding Trail in this bottomland hardwood forest along the Mississippi "flyway" which serves as one of the first "fattening up" areas for over 400 species of Migratory birds. -
Preservation of open space to serve as a filtering ground for pollution in an area, which is largely without public sewerage.
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Preservation of open space to serve as a floodplain for storm runoff.
Preservation of public areas for current recreational uses of hiking, biking, horseback riding, jogging and other outdoor activities.
Current Partnerships
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Project Partner
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Contact Name
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Telephone
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Plaquemines Parish
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Benny Rousselle, Parish President
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(504) 394-4080
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Orleans Parish
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Nathan Champagne, Mayor's Office of Environmental Affairs
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(504) 565-8115
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Woodlands Trail and Park, Inc.
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Katie Brasted, President
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(504) 453-4934
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Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
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Kerry St. Pe, Director
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(504) 447-0868
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National Park Service Rivers, Trails, Conservation and Assistance Program
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Stacye Palmer, Outdoor Recreation Planner
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(504) 589-3882
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Mississippi River Trail
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Bill Keller
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(504) 283-4484
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Project Stage/Status
Both Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes have passed Resolutions supporting the Woodlands Trail and Park project. Plaquemines Parish has passed an Ordinance dedicating an 80-foot wide greenway over 8-miles in length on Parish owned property for the initial phase of Woodlands Trail and Park. An inner pathway in this bottomland hardwood forest will also allow community access to a grouping of 10 World War II bunkers. The management team of BTNEP has approved money to serve as matching funds for a Louisiana Recreational Trails Grant to begin establishment of pathways. HUD funds secured by Congressman Billy Tauzin and Plaquemines Parish President Benny Rousselle will be used to design and engineer Phase 1. The Mississippi River Trail organization has adopted Woodlands Trail and Parks' version of the MRT in this corridor, which is targeted to reach the Gulf of Mexico by 2004.
Cost Estimate: $8,999,032
Current Funding Sources
Housing and Urban Development
Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
Resources Needed
Federal and non-federal grants or appropriations for phased implementation
Phase I - establishment of natural pathway, bridges and interpretive areas on Plaquemines Parish Property - $33,000 HUD funds for design and Engineering and some construction, $30,000 BTNEP for interpretive areas and trail construction. Recreational Trails Grant for $123,000 pending which would complete Phase I.
Phase II - establishment of natural recreational/historical pathway connecting Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes, trailhead facilities and Education Center - $2,330,500
Phase III - MRT - Plaquemines Parish; land acquisition of historical site and wetland habitat expansion - Orleans Parish - $1,858,532
Phase IV - establishment of Equestrian Center and pathway to Orleans Parish's Wilderness Park - $ 975,000
Phase V - establishment of MRT bike pathway connecting Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes - $3,735,000
Proposed Champion Agency: U.S. Department of Transportation
Champion Partners:
Woodlands Trail and Park, Inc.
Political Support
Senator John Breaux
Senator Mary Landrieu
Congressman Billy Tauzin
Congressman William Jefferson
Congressman David Vitter
Mayor Ray C. Nagin, City of New Orleans
Plaquemines Parish Council
Orleans Parish City Council
Other Initiatives Supported
Coast 2050
Millennium Trails
Sustainability
Clean Water Action Plan
Mississippi River Trail
Ecotourism
Livability Initiative
Smart Growth
River Navigator
Robert M. Atkin
Lower Mississippi River Navigator
U. S. Coast Guard
600 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Place, Room 415
Louisville, KY 40202-2287
502-625-7543; 502-625-7545 (fax)
Ratkin@dirauxlouisville.uscg.mil
Lower Mississippi - 3
Memphis Riverfront Development
Project Summary
The Mississippi River is the starting point for a citywide enhancement strategy for the metropolitan Memphis area. The Riverfront Development Corporation (RDC) is the vehicle through which the most comprehensive improvements will be made. RDC is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization whose objective is to create an active and publicly accessible riverfront with distinctive, mixed-use places that will sustain it, bring more life to Downtown and support the revitalization of maritime and commercial imagery that characterizes Memphis. This includes green space, public amenities, private development, and economic opportunities developed jointly with citizens and funded through a public/private partnership.
The Mississippi River runs parallel to Downtown Memphis for five linear miles beginning at the Wolf River to the north and concluding just south of the Harahan Railroad Bridge. In combination with the Wolf River Harbor, there are 12 continuous miles of waterfront at Downtown Memphis. The area is currently comprised of a series of disjointed parks and greenways that require upgrading, as well as private property consisting of both new upscale residential and low-income neighborhoods, dysfunctional public facilities, and industrial areas in need of revitalization. Additionally, the Mississippi River Trail, one of only 16 nationally designated Millennium Trails, runs through this area.
Project Benefit
The Memphis Riverfront Master Plan calls for a visionary redevelopment of the area with an emphasis on open spaces, mixed-use opportunities and cultural and civic amenities. RDC is entering the implementation process of the master plan. Phase I projects include:
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Beale Street Landing is a pivotal component of the Memphis Riverfront Master Plan. In addition to being a first rate docking facility for large river vessels and tour boats, it serves as the terminus for Historic Beale Street, a focal point for Tom Lee Park, and leads to the largest remaining cobblestone landing on the Mississippi River in the nation. A national design competition will serve as the celebratory catalyst for launching this element of the master plan. It will spur creativity and generate ideas for downtown riverfront development as well as engage community involvement and raise public awareness about our most important geographic feature: the Mississippi River.
(Approximate Project Cost: $19 million)
The Cobblestone Landing at Memphis is on the National Register of Historic Places and must be restored. It is a 309,000 square feet portion of a series of four river landings developed among Memphis' frontages with the Mississippi and Wolf rivers between 1819 and ca. 1881 and includes more than 813,400 individual cobbles. For more than a century, the Memphis Landing was one of only two that allowed for safe crossing of the Mississippi River. The installation of a sea wall/toe wall at the base of the cobblestones is necessary to protect them from the force of the Mississippi River currents and prevent further sloughing of the cobblestones. The vertical movement of the river is astonishing, sometimes exceeding 50 feet between high and low water. As a result of this extensive erosion, there has been a sloughing off of the cobbles at the toe. In turn, this loss of key cobbles destabilizes the larger mass by causing isolated settling. Falling water levels often reveal impassable sheer drops in the slope of the embankment. Once stabilized, repairs to the mass can be made where settling has occurred.
(Approximate Project Cost: $12.2 million)
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The riverwalk is designed to be a continuous paved trail along the entire 12 miles of water's edge. Currently, the riverwalk runs from Greenbelt Park to the A.W. Willis Bridge. It pauses at The Pyramid, before resuming at Jefferson Davis Park. The next phase of the riverwalk to be completed is Tom Lee Park to Martyr's Park, followed by Martyr's Park to Chickasaw Heritage Park. A design to address specific issues related to the section behind The Pyramid will begin in the next few months. As the walkway is completed, each park it reaches will be assessed and a design for desired improvements created.
(Approximate Project Cost: $2.8 million, an additional $5 million is needed for improvements to Tom Lee Park)
Located on the Memphis riverfront and in the heart of Downtown are a number of expressway ramps that are of limited benefit and end in an unsightly and cumbersome manner. These ramps consume valuable waterfront properties that could be used for much greater public purpose. Riverfront Development Corporation seeks assistance from the Department of Transportation to remove those ramps and reconfigure and relocate them in a manner that uses much less of this valuable property, still allowing for efficient traffic flow into and out of downtown Memphis.
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In 1819, city founders John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson set aside a large portion of their newly purchased Fourth Chickasaw Bluff as "…an ample vacant space, reserved as promenade; all of which must contribute very much to the health and comfort of the place as well as to secure its ornament." The Overton Heirs Blocks or Promenade, as the land has come to be known, has not become the great Mississippi River overlook as once envisioned. On this promenade sits three public garages, a US Postal Service storage facility and small customer service center located in a beautiful old Customs House that is severely underutilized, a nearly deserted public library, some of the Memphis Cook Convention Center, the Tennessee Welcome Center and its parking area, concrete columns supporting the I-40 ramps and roadways, Memphis Fire Department Headquarters, among other elements not normally located along great riverfronts.
Ironically, the blocks that were set-aside for public purposes have become a barrier to the largest public purposes of all, connecting downtown to the Mississippi River. The Overton Heirs Property/Promenade is critical to accomplishing the goal of connecting downtown to the river. Proper development of these blocks will eliminate the visual and physical barriers, which impedes enjoyment of the riverfront. Mixed-use development, and a thoughtful street system will encourage people to walk from Main and Front Streets to the river.
Federal assistance is needed to relocate the US Postal Service storage facility to a more appropriate location and open the Customs House to appropriate mixed-use development.
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Through the construction of a five-square block land bridge, for the first time in its history, Mud Island will be seamlessly integrated into the city and easily accessible from downtown from Court Street to Poplar Avenue. The new land created will become a dynamic riverfront precinct, composed of traditional streets and blocks.
The Land Bridge allows the street grid of downtown to extend to the Mississippi River, with each street ending at the riverfront in a purposeful manner. Beale Street will end at Beale Street Landing. Union Avenue will end at the Cobblestone Walkway and the Downtown Harbor and connect to Mud Island via pedestrian bridge. Court Street will end at a public stair leading from Riverside Drive directly down to the river. Jefferson and Adams Avenues will be extended onto the land bridge and provide access to Mud Island and the Mississippi River. Washington Avenue, which ends today at Civic Center Plaza, will be extended to a small neighborhood park on the riverfront. Finally, Poplar Avenue will extend to the Mississippi River, bending around the lake along the way, so a traveler never loses sight of the Hernando-DeSoto Bridge.
(Approximate Project Cost: $78 million)
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True development of the Memphis waterfront requires the relocation of a number of industries that are simply incompatible with the highly residential nature of development along the Wolf River Harbor. Federal assistance will be needed for this relocation through planning and design allocations or through direct incentives or subsidies for the cost of the physical move and any loss in production by these industries.
(Approximate Cost: $25 million)
Current Partnerships
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Project Partner
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Contact Name
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Telephone
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City of Memphis (Funding)
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Cynthia Buchanan, Deputy Director of Public Works
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(901) 576-7110
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Riverfront Development Corporation
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Benny Lendermon, President
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(901) 312-9190
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City of Memphis (Expertise)
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Dottie Jones, Administrator, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
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(901) 576-6565
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Project Stage/Status
The RDC recently completed an 18-month master planning process for the entire 12 miles of continuous waterfront in Downtown Memphis. On May 21, 2002 the Memphis City Council endorsed the master plan clearing the way for RDC to begin its implementation.
To date, RDC has completed the Cobblestone Walkway, a significant segment of the riverwalk that connects Tom Lee Park on the south with Jefferson Davis Park, the Tennessee Welcome Center and the Pyramid on the north. The Cobblestone Walkway portion of the new riverfront trail stretches from Beale Street to Jefferson Avenue. It is the latest in a series of projects by the City of Memphis and the Riverfront Development Corporation designed to reconnect Memphians with the Mississippi.
In addition, RDC is completing improvements to Riverside Drive, Memphis' waterfront roadway that connect two major US Highways - I-40 (east/west) and I-55 (north/south). It is situated between the mighty bluffs and Tom Lee Park, a 21-acre festival park. The width of the roadway is being increased to add a planted parkway-type median and several significant pedestrian crossings. These improvements will enhance the appearance of the roadway as well as slow traffic and make the pedestrian connections from the heart of downtown to the waterfront much more effective. It includes 6,800 feet of roadway improvements and significant landscaping.
The next two projects for RDC will be the Cobblestone Landing and Beale Street Landing, both on the water's edge. Assistance on the proposed $12.2 million restoration and redevelopment of the Cobblestone Landing is most needed as it is a cornerstone of the Phase I projects.
Cost Estimate: $137,000,000
Current Funding Sources
The Riverfront Development Corporation will continue to seek both public and private funds to accomplish its goal of transforming the Memphis riverfront into a world-class destination on the Mississippi River. Mayor Willie W. Herenton has pledged a minimum of $250,000 annually for operating costs of the organization. Additionally, he has committed all city funds customarily spent on the operation and maintenance of riverfront parks to RDC, nearly $2.5 million.
The City of Memphis is also a partner in funding the Memphis Riverfront Master Plan implementation, carrying $9 million in its current Capital Improvements Projects budget, and an additional $16 million in its five-year Capital Plan for riverfront related projects. The mayor has committed these funds to be used for projects pursued by RDC.
One of the major reasons for the creation of the Riverfront Development Corporation is to leverage planned city expenditures with federal and private contributions. RDC has aggressively pursued private funds for both operations and capital costs associated with riverfront redevelopment. Commitments of more than $2 million over five years have been pledged from two local private foundations, and the work continues to solicit even more.
Resources Needed
Immediate Planning and Design grants between $250,000 - $500,000 is needed to begin work on both the Cobblestone Landing and Beale Street Landing projects. Capital assistance grants in the amount of $9 - $12 million are needed to supplement City of Memphis contributions.
Proposed Champion Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Champion Partner:
Riverfront Development Corporation
Political Support
Dr. Willie H. Herenton, Mayor of Memphis
Memphis City Council
Senator Bill Frist
Senator Fred Thompson
Congressman Harold E. Ford
River Navigator
Robert M. Atkin
Lower Mississippi River Navigator
U. S. Coast Guard
600 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Place, Room 415
Louisville, KY 40202-2287
502-625-7543; 502-625-7545 (fax)
Ratkin@dirauxlouisville.uscg.mil
Lower Mississippi - 4
Mississippi River Trail
Project Summary
The Mississippi River Trail (MRT) is a system of state-supported, state designated biking trails along the Mississippi River extending from Bemiji, MN, to the Gulf of Mexico. Approximately 40% of the system is finished. In the Lower Mississippi River AHRI area, Memphis and Shelby County have completed the trail but have not been able to complete a crossing to the Arkansas side of the river for continuation of the trail. The Mississippi River Trail crosses into Louisiana from the State of Mississippi at Natchez-Vidalia and continues southward (about 250 miles). Only 15% of the trail has been completed in Louisiana.
The AHR designated area in Louisiana covers 11 parishes from East-West Baton Rouge along the river to the Gulf of Mexico. Because of the limited availability of transportation enhancement funds within the State of Louisiana, the AHRI communities are essentially competing against one another for available federal funds. Non-federal funds for this project are extremely limited, and the local communities have opposed congressional earmarks that will reduce local/state discretion over use of existing transportation monies. Recent accidents in the Baton Rouge area resulting in biking fatalities have refocused the communities on a need for safe and well marked bike paths within the Louisiana Parishes.
The AHRI communities within the Louisiana Parishes believe a cooperative, coordinated effort as part of the AHRI can enhance their efforts to compete for diminishing federal transportation enhancement dollars, and attract non-federal funding sources.
Project Benefit
These trails are key components in the overall community strategy of:
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Diversifying the economic base with a viable tourist attraction to offset the one-dimensional petrochemical/marine transportation industrial base.
Enhancing the setting aside of greenways and woodland/wetland preserves.
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Completing of the congressionally supported Mississippi River Trail.
Enhancing intermodal transportation systems.
Enhancing flood and disaster response by upgrading evacuation routes from well-known hurricane and flooding regions.
Being a key component in various city center and riverfront development projects concentrating on revitalization of historic districts.
Current Partnerships
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Project Partner
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Contact Name
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Telephone
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Plaquemines Parish
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Benny Rousselle, Parish President
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(504) 394-4080
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Orleans Parish
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Nathan Champagne, Mayor’s Office of Environmental
Affairs
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(504) 565-8115
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Ascension Parish
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Angela Falgoust, Executive Director, Tourist Commission
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(225) 775-6550
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Iberville Parish
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Kitty Martin, Tourism Coordinator
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(225) 687-5190
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St. James Parish
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Debra Mayhew
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(225) 265-4211
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St. John the Baptist Parish
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Julia Redmondet, Economic Development Coordinator
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(985) 652-9569
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St. Charles Parish
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Corey Faucheux, Director of Economic Development
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(985) 783-5140
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St. Bernard Parish
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Elizabeth McDougall, Tourism Director
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(504) 278-4242
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Jefferson Parish
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Marnie Winter, Director, Environmental and Developmental
Control
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(504) 736-6440
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East Baton Rouge
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Babs Babin
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(225) 353-8232
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West Baton Rouge
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Davis Rhorer, Executive Director, Community Development
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(225) 389-5520
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City of Memphis
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Cynthia Buchanan, Deputy Director, Department of Public Works
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(901) 576-7110
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Shelby County, Tennessee
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Theodore C. Fox III, Director Public Works Division
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(901) 545-4266
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Shelby County, Tennessee
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Col. Ted Fox, Director, Department of Public Works
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U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
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Joan Exnicios, Planning, Programs and Project Management
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(504) 862-1760
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Federal Highway Administration
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Ann Wills
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(225) 379-1358
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Mississippi River Trail
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Bill Keller
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(504) 283-4484
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Mississippi River Trail
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Pat Nunnally
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(651) 698-2727
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Project Stage/Status
The City of Memphis and Shelby County have a completed and marked MRT on the Tennessee side of the Mississippi River but have been unable connect the MRT to the State of Arkansas due in part to private railway concerns for security following the events of September 11th, 2001.
In Louisiana, the levee top "survey" and "design" phases are approximately 65% complete. Most parishes / communities have the surveys and designs completed but have not been able to acquire the local match required for federal grants needed to fund construction of the bike paths
The trail is approximately 15% complete in Louisiana. The overall plan is to time/phase the complete project over the next 5 to 7 years with approximately $2-5M annual expenditure.
Cost Estimate:
Cost Estimate $20,000,000 phased over a 5 to 7 year period
Current Funding Sources
Currently, communities in Louisiana have amassed the local match for about 25% of the trail. These matches are primarily from local revenues. The State of Louisiana, through the TEA21 program, has contributed only 15% of the local match for those portions already constructed. This low figure is primarily due to the failure of these "enhancement" projects to complete successfully for funding against programmed needs.
Resources Needed
Federally mandated percentage of TEA21 funding for trails.
Reduction of local match or innovative methods of acquiring matching funds from non-federal sources.
Authorization AND funding in the ACOE appropriations to complete those sections of the trail currently ready to start construction (approximately $4M).
A recurring $2-5M appropriations over the next 5 to 7 years for completion of the remaining sections of the trail as design and local matches become available.
Proposed Champion: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Champion Partner
Lower Mississippi American Heritage Rivers Alliance (11 Louisiana Parishes, City of New Orleans, and the City of Memphis)
Political Support
Senator John Breaux
Senator Mary Landrieu
Congressman Billy Tauzin
Congressman David Vitter
Governor Mike Foster
Other Initiatives Supported
Livability Initiative
Delta Initiative
New Market Initiative
River Navigator
Robert M. Atkin
Lower Mississippi River Navigator
U. S. Coast Guard
600 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Place, Room 415
Louisville, KY 40202-2287
502-625-7543; 502-625-7545 (fax)
Ratkin@dirauxlouisville.uscg.mil
Lower Mississippi - 5
Nonconnah Creek Restoration and Greenway Trails
Project Summary
Nonconnah Creek borders the southern edge of the city of Memphis and extends from the Mississippi River eastward for some 50 miles into Shelby and Fayette Counties, Tennessee, and Desoto and Marshall Counties, Mississippi. It is a key watershed in the four counties, two- state area, and stressed by every-expanding urbanization and development. This is particularly so within the city limits of Memphis where interstate roadways and light industry development are encroaching on the remaining flora and fauna habitat along the creek.
The greenway restoration and trails is a portion of an overall Nonconnah Creek Flood Control Project designed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The greenway portion of the project is designed to:
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Create 27 miles of greenways and hiking/biking trails along the main channel and tributaries of Nonconnah Creek in the city of Memphis and Shelby County.
Maintain and restore wetland habitat and reforest with native hardwood stands.
Design and construct interpretive and learning centers in both Memphis and Shelby County.
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Clear areas of "headcutting" along the main channel.
The project will be time/phased over the next 5 years as private lands are acquired, as matching funds are available and as appropriations are made available to federal partners.
Project Benefit
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Expand and preserve existing habitats. The project will return 3500 acres of semi-developed lands to its natural state. Despite development of the area, parcels along Nonconnah Creek remain a viable habitat for a variety of wild bird and animal species. This project is projected to increase animal populations (deer, rabbit, wild bird species) in the project area by 250%.
Provide greenways and nature/hiking/biking trails in an area overly stressed by urban sprawl.
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Provide much-needed environmental education centers. Some 10,000 visitors to these centers are expected annually. This is a key factor in diversifying the surrounding economic base, which is primarily light industry, into tourism and retail associated with tourism. There is an anticipated absolute increase of 350 permanent jobs as a result of this project.
Current Partnerships
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Project Partner
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Contact Name
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Telephone
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City of Memphis
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Cynthia Buchanan, Deputy Director, Department of Public Works
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(901) 576-7110
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Shelby County, Tennessee
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Theodore C. Fox III, Director Public Works Division
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(901) 545-4266
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U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
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Jimmy McNeil, District Archeologist
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(901) 544-0710
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
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Dennis W. Abernathy, Project Manager
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(901) 544-0798
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Mississippi River Trail
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Bill Keller
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(504) 283-4484
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Mississippi River Trail
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Pat Nunnally
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651-698-2727
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Project Stage/Status
The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has completed the Reconnaissance Report and General Design Memorandum for the flood control project. These reports were completed in 1987 and updated in 1989 and 1990. During this period, only the portions of Nonconnah Creek within the Memphis city limits were considered. On January 16th, 2001 the USACE signed an agreement with Shelby County to reevaluate the feasibility of the Nonconnah Creek Project, beyond the City of Memphis. In January 2002, the Town of Collierville (TN) joined with the City of Memphis and Shelby County in support of the Nonconnah Greenbelt System. The updated USACE feasibility study should be completed in July 2003.
Cost Estimate:
Phase One Development $2,400,000
Current Funding Sources
In July 2002 Shelby County received $1,413,280 in Transportation Enhancement Program funding through the State of Tennessee; Shelby County will provide the 20% match.
Resources Needed
Grant money to help aid in construction of the greenbelt and connection points with the City of Memphis and Town of Collierville. Continued assistance from the USACE on Nonconnah Creek Channel Improvements along the greenbelt. Proposed Champion: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Champion Partner
Shelby County
Political Support
Senator John Thompson
Congressman Harold Ford
Dr. Willie Herenton, Mayor of Memphis
Other Initiatives Supported
Livability Initiative
Clean Water Action Plan
New Market Initiative
River Navigator
Robert M. Atkin
Lower Mississippi River Navigator
U. S. Coast Guard
600 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Place, Room 415
Louisville, KY 40202-2287
502-625-7543; 502-625-7545 (fax)
Ratkin@dirauxlouisville.uscg.mil
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