New Report Lays Groundwork for Development of School Properties
10/28/2009 12:00:00 AM
A new report from the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a leading national land use and development research organization, provides recommendations to move land-banked and surplus public school properties in New Orleans into development.
School District Announces New Appraisal Process to Move Landbanked and Surplus Properties into Development Faster
New Orleans, LA – A new report from the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a leading national land use and development research organization, provides recommendations to move landbanked and surplus public school properties in New Orleans into development. The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB), the Recovery School District (RSD), and the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding commissioned ULI to study New Orleans’ situation and report its findings and recommendations for moving forward.
While the education system in New Orleans is seen widely as a sign of progress in the overall rebuilding of the region, the public school systems face unique facilities challenges. Prior to Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, OPSB schools enrolled approximately 65,000 students in 127 buildings. Today, the OPSB and the state-run RSD enroll approximately 37,000 students on 67 campuses. There are currently 88 available public schools in New Orleans, many sharing campuses.
In November 2008, the OPSB and the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) adopted a School Facilities Master Plan to create a long-term blueprint for rebuilding public schools in New Orleans. Among the recommendations in the six-phase plan was to “land bank” 48 schools that were not expected to be used as schools in the future. More than just surplus schools, these properties were deemed unsuitable for long-term educational use, either because the sites are no longer suitable to be used as schools or the condition of the facilities dictates demolition. Presently, many of these landbanked schools sit empty, prompting concern that they contribute to blighted neighborhoods in New Orleans and keep communities from truly coming back.
The ULI report recommends a process for moving these properties into development to better serve their communities – an important step in rebuilding the city of New Orleans.
“The report released today provides a roadmap for moving forward,” said Darryl Kilbert, Superintendent of the OPSB, which maintains ownership of public school properties in New Orleans. “The redevelopment of landbanked schools will benefit not only the school districts, but the neighborhoods and communities surrounding these properties. It’s a win-win for all those involved.”
“As New Orleans’ neighborhoods and communities have been rebuilt, our schools have been reformed,” added Paul Vallas, Superintendent of the RSD. “New schools are opening, parents and students have more choices, and test scores are improving. By following the recommendations in this report, empty properties can be put to better use and we can continue to focus on rebuilding and reforming the city’s schools.”
“The recommendations made in this report, and the overall progress we’ve seen in New Orleans’ education system, show what can be done when the federal government, the state, and local officials work together as partners,” added Janet Woodka, Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding. “The Obama Administration is committed to working with our partners on the ground to find common sense solutions to rebuild the communities of the Gulf Coast.”
The ULI report is based on interviews with area officials and community leaders, as well as independent analysis by ULI panel members. It made a number of recommendations, including partnering with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) to manage the marketing and sale of properties, taking steps to prepare properties for the market, and solving the problem of property appraisals that are significantly higher than real market values.
The schools districts and NORA have been in preliminary talks for NORA to take control of the management and marketing of properties. Such an agreement would give developers and community leaders interested in properties a “one-stop shop” and eliminate any confusion that comes from the involvement of two school districts. It would also free both up to focus on their primary purpose – education.
“Rebuilding New Orleans requires a team approach to cut through bureaucratic red tape and get projects moving,” said Richard Monteilh, Executive Director of NORA. “NORA looks forward to working with the RSD, OPSB, and all involved to redevelop former school properties and revitalize their neighborhoods.”
The OPSB also announced Tuesday that it is taking steps to solve one of the major problems outlined in the report – properties that have appraised higher than real market values. A state law requires school properties to be sold for their appraised value or higher. As a result, OPSB has been prohibited from accepting rational market-based bids for its properties. The OPSB announced that it has hired a new appraisal firm, Hammerman & Gainer, to conduct a more accurate appraisal process. Hammerman & Gainer will revaluate the properties based on “as-is best use” standards, whereby they indicate the time and likelihood of finding the right buyers for each property rather than according to market standards for other properties in the neighborhoods.
“The new appraisal process will break the current logjam and allow former school sites to be redeveloped faster, while ensuring taxpayers get a fair price for the properties,” said Kilbert.
View full report
News flash