Gentilly Woods revamped by big chain retailer

The Gentilly Woods Shopping Center lies in one of the busiest locations in New Orleans East. It has once been occupied by several national chain retailers such as Foot Locker, Anna Linens, RadioShack and Rainbow just to name a few. With the shopping center positioned in such a prime location there has been several investors who have tried to bid on the property but lost to NORA’s bid of $4.2 million. Since NORA bought the property, the government officials have been in the talks of a condominium, national retail chains and a grocer. The decision became final on July 20, 2011 when Wal-Mart was approved for the bid. Wal-Mart’s move into the location is considered detrimental to many residents residing in the city as such a move will put other local chains out of business. There are however, positive aspects to the move since the government restrictions on it will make the area look more environmentally friendly and the sales tax will allow for redevelopments in other parts of the area. It is still a controversial debate for many in the area but the move will allow citizens’ access to a Wal-Mart which isn’t 30 minutes away. Disagreements are bound to arise over this decision, but a developed area is better than an empty building which is prone to fires as it has occurred months ago.

Hollywood New Orleans

Our initial perception to Hollywood is a designated area for filming quality production movies. A majority of these movies take its root in densely populated areas similar to Chicago and Hollywood. The current producers of these movies, however, have shifted their interest to other areas in order to cut production costs. With the economy at an all time low, producers have chosen areas such as New Orleans, where they’re going through an ongoing process of reshaping its businesses.

During this day and age filmmakers are capable of capturing the essence of New Orleans while portraying it as a different city with the support of technology. In our latest movie The Mechanic, Jason Stratham stars as Arthur a sharp cunning man who is notable for carefully planning his assassinations to appear as an accident. Arthur’s assignment for assassinating his mentor brings forth his character as a man who carries out his duties under any circumstances. His remorse for the death of his mentor soon catches him in a trap as he attempts to make up for his wrongdoings by helping out his mentor’s son Steve. Steve soon learns about the person behind the death of his father and plans an attack on Arthur by lighting up his car. Arthur manages to escape the event while also revealing to the audience as an assassin no one can be trusted.

The remake of Charles Bronson’s 1972 film of the Mechanic captures the story line while depicting a different city in its modern day form. While moviegoers watch the Mechanic , several notable areas of New Orleans are revealed throughout the movie to appear as Chicago. The directors of the movie did a remarkable job of transitioning from a big city such as Chicago to a smaller city such as New Orleans. Don’t forget to look out for several of the areas featured in the movie such as the World Trade Center, French Quarter, and the New Orleans Athletic Club. In an attempt to spice things up the director also included a scene where Arthur is seen reading the Times Picayune, a local New Orleans newspaper.

The rise of a city under water

Over six years ago, Hurricane Katrina resulted in one of history’s most expensive disasters. Hurricane Katrina displaced several leaving the few that stayed behind stranded in an area filled with stench, corpses, and rubble. Of all the destructions Katrina left in its path, Chalmette and the Ninth Ward experienced the most chaotic nightmare. The high waters engulfed both of these parishes, which were incapable of sustaining its waters because of the levee breach.

After the hurricane, businesses seemed reluctant to return to Chalmette leaving it seemingly deserted for a few years. Business operators set their decision for returning based on Wal-Mart’s return but Wal-Mart refused to return unless the government rewarded a substantial amount for its damages. About five years later a few daredevils spiked interest in the Judge Perez area, one of Chalmette’s most prominent location before the hurricane. The investors Joe Licciardi, colonel of the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office and Ray Peacock, a Metairie developer demolished the old shopping center and replaced it with a new upgraded exterior. The Chalmette shopping center more commonly known by its name as the Mall is rumored to have been an investment of about $20 million.

The Mall encompasses several large franchises such as Big Lots, Aarons, I-hop, Cato and a six-screen movie theatre. The investors of the Mall have also spurred the appetite of other investors, which have long waited for such vital signs of improvement.