New Orleans gets 1st splash pad, new West Bank pool
All of New Orleans' public pools will be open for business this summer, the city's recreation department CEO says, though one will take a little bit longer than others.
Why it matters: In a year that's already cooking, any way to cool off is going to offer a welcome relief in our hottest months.
The latest: Top city officials celebrated the opening of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission's 18th pool Monday.
The George V. Rainey Natatorium at Algiers' Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Park offers two firsts: the first indoor pool for New Orleans' West Bank, and the city's first public splash pad.
What they're saying:"I grew up learning to swim in this pool" when it was still named Behrman Park, said Councilman Freddie King, whose district includes Algiers. "I remember coming to NORD summer camps in the mid-90s and ... I swear there were so many kids in here, the water would overflow."
"That's how many children were here, and that's how much of a need for a pool there is."
Zoom in: NORDC CEO Larry Barabino tells Axios New Orleans that 17 of the department's now 18 pools will be open by May 31.
He's confident that lifeguard staffing, which has been a struggle in the past, won't be an issue this summer with funding in place again for 150 guards.
"We have a huge influx of lifeguards coming in," Barabino says. "We're gonna be ready."
Yes, but: NORDC's pool at A.L. Davis Park requires a major repair that, while also funded, will take extra time to complete.
But "it will open this summer," Barabino says.
What we're watching: Complaints have been rising that NORDC facilities aren't being well-maintained, which Barabino says is a result of post-Katrina underfunding.
Barabino pointed to Saturday's election as an example, with Jefferson Parish voters approving a millage that'll contribute to a $35 million annual budget for its 70 or so facilities.
In Orleans Parish, Barabino says, he has a budget of about $20 million to spend across 160 facilities.
More recreation funding will have to come from the next mayoral administration, Barabino said, as well as from voters, who could approve a bond sale to that end in the election this fall.
Go deeper
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
An Inside Look At Disney's Affordable Housing Development In Florida
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. If someone asked you to play a word association game using the term "Walt Disney World," your first response might be "Magic Kingdom" or maybe Mickey Mouse. It's a safe bet that "affordable housing" would be way down your list, but the economics of Florida's housing market have forced a paradigm shift. Florida living has become so expensive that Walt Disney World is building an affordable housing community for its employees in Florida. Florida used to be synonymous with affordable housing, but several factors have changed the Sunshine State's housing market. First, a post-COVID influx of new arrivals from Los Angeles and New York with deep pockets caused property prices to spike statewide. If that weren't enough, a home insurance rate crisis and high interest rates have made buying a home in Florida harder than ever before. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Invest Where It Hurts — And Help Millions Heal: The affordability issue is felt most acutely by workers at the middle to lower end of the wage spectrum. That's historically the economic demographic that staffs Walt Disney World and the company's other Florida attractions. Business Insider reports that despite paying its employees $15 per hour, they still have trouble keeping pace with rising rents and property values. Disney responded by teaming up with a real estate development company, the Michaels Organization, to build a new affordable community on 80 acres of land near the city of Horizon West. According to Business Insider, the community will include 1,400 housing units, and 1,000 of them will be designated as affordable units. Walt Disney World already owns the land, which is about 20 minutes west of the theme park. 'We selected this land because it is part of a thriving community, close to employers, shopping, services, public schools, and areas of rest and recreation. We feel there is no better-positioned community in Central Florida to provide residents the opportunity to start a new chapter of their story,' Disney said in a statement. Trending: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a ? It sounds like a great deal for Walt Disney World employees, but the plan is not without its detractors. The Horizon West area has experienced rapid population growth and development in the past several years. Area residents are becoming more vocal in expressing their belief that their community can't handle any more development. Orange County District One Commissioner Nicole Wilson has heard those complaints, and Business Insider says she voted against the project last year. Business Insider cites U.S. Census data showing Horizon West's population has grown from 14,000 people in 2010 to 58,000 in 2020. The post-pandemic era brought about another boom, and now 75,000 people live in Horizon West. Area real estate agent Nicole Mickle told Business Insider that the Horizon West real estate market was so hot during the post-pandemic boom that she was selling homes via is constant in real estate, and those changes can be incredibly jarring to local residents when markets get overheated. Naturally, that causes residents to fret that their community is losing the small-town feel that originally attracted them to the area. 'What some want to do is keep the integrity of the community,' Mickle told Business Insider. It looks like they will have to adjust to the new reality. Wilson's "no" vote wasn't enough to stop the project from going forward. Construction is set to begin, and 1,400 new housing units are coming to Horizon West. This may also be a look at the future of real estate development. Attracting employees for regular jobs is becoming increasingly difficult due to the lack of affordable housing. Larger companies may take note of Horizon West and follow suit in other areas. . With over $1 million in dividends paid out last quarter and a growing selection of properties across various markets, Arrived offers an attractive alternative for investors seeking to build a diversified real estate portfolio. In October 2024, Arrived sold The Centennial, achieving a total return of 34.7% (11.2% average annual returns) for investors. Arrived aims to continue delivering similar value across our portfolio through careful market selection, attentive property management, and thoughtful timing in sales. Looking for fractional real estate investment opportunities? The features the latest offerings. Image: Shutterstock This article An Inside Look At Disney's Affordable Housing Development In Florida originally appeared on
CNBC
a day ago
- CNBC
Bank of America says buy these five stocks that are set to rally
Bank of America thinks there's a slate of stocks worth snapping up and still have room to run. The firm said buy-rated companies like Nvidia have plenty of upside heading into summer. Other names include Philip Morris, Boot Barn, Amazon and Netflix . Netflix The streaming giant is firing on all cylinders and well positioned for growth, according to the firm. Analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich recently raised her price target on the stock to $1,490 per share from $1,175, reflecting on her bullish thesis. "Year-to-date, Netflix has been a top performer in our coverage driven by: sustained earnings momentum, positive subscriber trends and a defensive rotation related to tariffs," she wrote. There's more to come as the company ramps up its advertising technology ,which should help the bottom line, the analyst said. "We continue to view Netflix as well positioned given the company's unmatched scale in streaming, further runway for subscriber growth, significant opportunities in advertising and sports/live and continued earnings and [free cash flow] growth," Reif Ehrlich added. The stock is up 39% this year. Amazon Analyst Justin Post recently lifted his price target on the e-commerce giant to $248 per share from $230. The firm said that robotics are poised to play a key role in how Amazon operates and this should increase the company's already "competitive moats." Post said the use of drones along with robotics will help margins, as well further reduce delivery times. "Going forward, we expect Amazon to leverage robots to: 1) reduce labor dependency; 2) increase order accuracy; and 3) improve warehouse efficiency, driving material cost savings," he added. Meanwhile shares are up more than 15% over the past 12 months, and they have room for further growth, Post said. "We think Amazon is well positioned to capitalize on the global growth of eCommerce and other secular trends such as cloud computing, online advertising and connected devices," he added. Boot Barn The Western-themed footwear company is firing on all cylinders, according to Bank of America. Analyst Christopher Nardone recently raised his price target on the stock to $192 per share from $173 citing a slew of positive catalysts ahead. "We are encouraged that the acceleration in comp trends has been broad-based across major merchandise categories and geographies," he wrote. The firm said the company is a multi-year growth story with plenty more room to run. In addition, the pricing environment remains very friendly and could lead to share gains, Nardone added. "With larger scale comes better pricing, better selection, more exclusive brands, and better customer service," he said. The stock is up 8% this year. Netflix "Year-to-date, Netflix has been a top performer in our coverage driven by: sustained earnings momentum, positive subscriber trends and a defensive rotation related to tariffs. … We continue to view Netflix as well positioned given the company's unmatched scale in streaming, further runway for subscriber growth, significant opportunities in advertising and sports/live and continued earnings and FCF growth." Amazon "Going forward, we expect Amazon to leverage robots to: 1) reduce labor dependency; 2) increase order accuracy; and 3) improve warehouse efficiency, driving material cost savings. … Robotics could increase AMZN's competitive moats. … We think Amazon is well positioned to capitalize on the global growth of eCommerce and other secular trends such as cloud computing, online advertising and connected devices." Nvidia "AI demand/visibility remain strong, maintain Buy, top pick. … We maintain Buy, a top sector pick with a $180 PO as we believe NVDA remains best positioned to benefit from the ongoing AI tide, supported by a multi-year lead in performance (AI scaling), pipeline, incumbency, scale, and developer support." Boot Barn "We are encouraged that the acceleration in comp trends has been broad-based across major merchandise categories and geographies. This gives us confidence BOOT isn't overearning in a specific geography or category. … With larger scale comes better pricing, better selection, more exclusive brands, and better customer service." Philip Morris "PM has been a top performer in the US market this year, led by execution, improving profitability in smoke-free, ZYN/IQOS volumes and continued contribution from combustibles to support SF [smoke free] growth. Its lack of exposure to China, tariff swings and its defensive nature is also attractive. As we see PM as well positioned to navigate external volatility, we boost our PO by $18 to $200."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Omada Health IPO signals healthier market, avoids 'down-round' trend
The IPO market is starting to feel healthier. Omada Health, a 14-year-old company providing virtual care for chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension between office visits, closed its first trading day on Friday at $23 a share, a 21% jump from the IPO price of $19. The IPO valued the company just above $1 billion (excluding employee options), a figure that's nearly identical to Omada's last private valuation of $1 billion set in its previous VC round. The debut is one of the first among recent IPOs that was not a so-called down-round. Many of the latest public listings, including Hinge, ServiceTitan, and Reddit, priced below their private market highs, though have faired well as public companies. For founder and CEO Sean Duffy, the successful public offering validates his decision to start a company that he believed the market desperately needed. In 2011, he dropped out of Harvard Medical School after realizing that chronic illness patients required more continuous support than the existing healthcare system delivered. Before the offering, he owned 4.1% of the company, according to Omada's offering document. Other significant shareholders included Revelation Partners (10.9%), US Venture Partners (9.9%), Andreessen Horowitz (9.6%), and FMR (9.3%). Duffy told TechCrunch that over his 14-year journey as a founder, he had many harrowing moments. "I didn't think our series A was going to come together because we were working on this commercial deal that didn't materialize, and that spooked one investor," he said. "As a young business, something tries to kill you every month," he continued. "And then as the business grows, it turns into like every quarter or six months, year, two years." One of the recent challenges for many digital health businesses is navigating the "collapse" of the market post-COVID boom. Omada steered through the turbulent times by seeking new, rising markets. It recently expanded its offerings to include diet management support for GLP-1 patients.
