What to know about the River District project in New Orleans

Background: The River District is about 40 acres along the Mississippi River between the convention enter and the Lower Garden District.

State of play: Some members of the New Orleans City Council are criticizing the project for a lack of transparency and asking for changes to the process going forward.

• In December, the council approved a property tax break for the developers for Shell Oil's new regional headquarters, which will anchor the district.
• The tax break exempts the building from property taxes for 15 years, and is worth an estimated $21.6 million, writes Josie Abugov of Verite News.

Yes, but: The Orleans Parish School Board, which is funded primarily with property tax revenue, asked the City Council to rescind the tax break and get more public input, writes Anthony McAuley with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.

Meanwhile, the development group and the New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority cut the council out of a governing contract, writes Abugov at Verite.

• The 35-year agreement gives those two groups power to levy taxes in the River District, Abugov reports.
• "Because of a provision in state law, the deal will commit future residents of the district to pay the higher taxes in their neighborhood, potentially without being able to vote on them for the full tenure of the decades-long contract," Abugov says.

The other side: "The River District Neighborhood Investors consortium is disappointed by the way some have characterized our engagement during a 27-month pre-construction and master planning process," Louis Lauricella, co-managing member of the River District Neighborhood Investors, tells Axios New Orleans.

• He said there have been more than 70 meetings with regulatory agencies and community groups, and the discussions with the City Council are "well documented."
• "We have intentionally and deliberately sought city and community engagement every step of the way," he said.

Between the lines: City Council President JP Morrell's office is working on proposals to provide greater review and public input for future deals, according to Verite.

The details: In addition to Shell's headquarters, the River District is slated to have entertainment, green spaces, retail, affordable housing and workforce housing.

• Topgolf, the project's entertainment centerpiece, is expected to start construction soon on Tchoupitoulas Street, according to the convention center.
• But the project is being criticized by neighbors. Matt Ryan, vice president of the Lower Garden District Association, told Fox 8 the project goes against the character of the neighborhood. Other residents voiced concerns about traffic at a public meeting about Topgolf earlier this month.
• And, a New Orleans business filed a lawsuit last month challenging the River District's lease and Topgolf, according to WGNO.
• "We have adhered to all requirements and initial tenant projects at every level, including Topgolf," says developer Lauricella.
• Another public meeting is scheduled for Jan. 30 at Felicity Church with the River District, Topgolf and Council member Lesli Harris.

What we're watching: Three more proposed projects are up in the air.

• Louisiana Music and Heritage Experience museum — Plans to build a $160 museum dedicated to Louisiana's music heritage are on hold due to funding, according to Michael Matese, the director of marketing at EskewDumezRipple, the architectural firm for the project.
• The goal is to re-up the $75 million request with the state legislature, he tells Axios.
• Soccer stadium — The soccer stadium also appears to be on hold, writes McAuley at NOLA.com. But, the United Soccer League New Orleans development team says they remain hopeful about gaining traction in the future.
• Power plant — Cypress Equities, one of the partners in the River District development, bought the old Market Street Power Plant in 2022 with the goal of turning it into an experience-based entertainment project with restaurants, shops, a rooftop bar and a music space (rendering).
• The plan has shifted, and developers are now looking at laser tag and ax throwing, McAuley writes.

What's next: Lauricella says the focus for the next 15 to 18 months will be infrastructure work, including new roads, sewer mains and utility lines, including fiber optic.

• They are laying the groundwork for a new transportation grid that will feature bus rapid transit, rideshare and taxi drop-off and pickup, Lauricella tells Axios New Orleans.
• Other objectives include a district-wide stormwater management plan and a power grid utilizing the Mississippi River.

Go deeper:

• See renderings of the proposed $160M Louisiana Music and Heritage Experience museum
• New Orleans focuses on riverfront ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl
• 12 New Orleans projects we're watching in 2024

Editor's note: This story was corrected to state the River District is estimated to have a $1 billion economic impact overall, not annually.