Renderings: Lincoln Beach's new look in New Orleans
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Rendering: Courtesy of Sasaki
Lincoln Beach will have a wide, sandy shoreline with bathrooms and a restaurant when it opens in the next year or two, according to the master plan presented this week to residents.
Why it matters: The historic beach in New Orleans East will be the city's only public option in decades.
The big picture: Construction is expected to start this fall on the first phase and take 12 to 18 months to finish, according to the presentation from Sasaki, the firm hired to do the master plan.
- The first phase includes the beach, a parking lot, shade pavilion and safe pedestrian access via an elevated walkway, elevator and tunnel.
- Those were the elements residents said they wanted prioritized, according to Joshua Brooks, a principal at Sasaki.
- Later phases will expand the parking lot and add a welcome center/history museum, fishing pier, playground and drive-in movie lawn.
Zoom in: The project will replenish the sand at the beach, which has eroded over the years, to levels from the 1950s and '60s, says Gabriel Ramos, an associate planner at Sasaki.
- They'll also restore the historic Lincoln Beach sign and work to save other items of cultural importance, he says.
Timeline: The beach is scheduled to open late next year or in early 2027.
- City officials had initially hoped to partially open Lincoln Beach this summer for swimming, but representatives from the Department of Public Works told council members last month that won't happen.
- The timeline was pushed back due to delays with federal funding. And the plan to allow swimming during construction wasn't cost-effective, the city says.
By the numbers: The first phase is expected to cost $17 to $23 million, Sasaki estimates, and is fully funded through local, state and federal sources, they say.
- Lincoln Beach will be free to access, in contrast to the now-stalled plan for Pontchartrain Beach.
- Additional phases will require more grants and fundraising.
How it works: Joe Threat, the city's deputy chief administrative office for infrastructure, says the city is accepting bids until June 3 from construction companies interested in the job.
- There's an information session May 15 at Joe Brown Gymnasium, which will include networking opportunities for subcontractors to meet with other businesses to partner for the work.
State of play: Lincoln Beach closed in the Little Woods area of New Orleans East shortly after Pontchartrain Beach, the white-only beach, was integrated in 1964.
- Pontchartrain Beach closed in 1983.
- Lincoln Beach is about 15 acres along the lakefront near Hayne Boulevard and Vincent Road. It's on the National Register of Historic Places.
- The beach was marketed as "The Coney Island of the South" and was a major recreational spot for Black residents during segregation.
What's next: The 465-page draft of the master plan is available on Lincoln Beach's website.
- The city is seeking comment through June 2 on the plans.
