Amid a city budget crisis, Mayor LaToya Cantrell has put the brakes on a long-awaited economic development study for New Orleans East, a move that on Monday drew a passionate rebuke from the council member that represents that area.

Known as the New Orleans East Renaissance Plan, the study would have catalogued land parcels, evaluated city infrastructure and gathered input from the East’s collection of neighborhoods to come up with a strategic vision for that area.

After the council agreed last year to set aside $1 million in the 2025 budget to fund the study, the city selected a consultant, Manning Architects, for the job and was in the process of inking its contract.

But the administration has yet to pay out the $1 million. And with the city facing a $160 million budget deficit this

See Full Page