Demolition of Iberville housing development begins

The demolition of the Iberville housing development began Tuesday morning, bringing to an end the era of the sprawling public housing complexes that for decades were home to thousands of low-income New Orleans families.

The Housing Authority of New Orleans and the city will tear down 59 of the 75 buildings that have made up Iberville.

In their place will rise a mixed-income community funded in part with $30.5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, a program intended to revitalize struggling neighborhoods by providing high-quality housing with improved services such as schools and commercial activity. New Orleans was one of five cities to receive the grant in its inaugural round.

The project is part of a bigger plan to revitalize Treme and the downtown area.

"The construction of new low, moderate and market-rate housing complete with retail, school and public space improvements will strengthen these important neighborhoods that are at the heart of our city," Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in a statement. "By connecting residents with wrap-around services like high-quality resources, programs and training in workforce development, education, health and transit, New Orleans will stand as a national model for redeveloping urban neighborhoods. This project will create better housing, safer streets and economic development."

The city plans a one-for-one replacement, on-site and in the surrounding communities, of the 821 units that made up Iberville. A broader redevelopment plan, estimated to cost a total of $600 million and paid for with funds from FEMA, HANO, HUD, the state and the city, will also revitalize more than 300 blocks within the boundaries of Rampart Street, Tulane Avenue, Broad Street and St. Bernard Avenue.

The onsite redevelopment will happen in two phases and willinclude 81 public housing units, 49 workforce units and 97 market rate units.

The full project, on-site and in the surrounding neighborhoods, calls for the construction of 304 public housing units, 261 workforce units and 315 market-rate homes.

The plan also includes 112 units for elderly Iberville residents at the former Texaco building on Canal Street.

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Demolition of Iberville housing development begins