NEW ORLEANS — After years of delays and design changes, the long-awaited plan to reopen Lincoln Beach is one step closer to reality.

City leaders presented an update to the East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Commission Tuesday night, outlining a scaled-back design and a renewed focus on safety, access, and affordability.

For longtime residents, the project carries deep emotion and nostalgia.

“I would like to see — before I leave this world — that it will open,” said Linda Williams, a Rosedale resident who grew up visiting the beach. “Nothing but a picnic basket and a blanket, I’ll be fine. We just want to be able to safely get onto the beach. That’s it.”

The city’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability says the first phase of redevelopment will concentrate on the basics — a pedes

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