With the city expected to hand him $1 million to begin work this November, architect Ray Manning is gearing up his team to craft what officials are calling the New Orleans East Renaissance Plan.

Championed by District E Councilmember Oliver Thomas, the study — which will catalog every land parcel, evaluate city infrastructure, analyze past studies focused on New Orleans East development and gather input from the community — will begin this fall and take about nine months to complete.

Though work has not yet begun, Manning’s business partner, David Dixon, has begun to hype the possibilities in recent interviews, including the buildout of “people-centric,” not “auto-centric” footprints in key corridors, like Lake Forest Boulevard.

If it's embraced by residents, business owners and others,

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