Work Progressing at Visitor’s Levee Exhibit and Garden

A "coming soon" sign was recently installed at the site of the east London Avenue Canal breach. Photo/Sandy Rosenthal

A “coming soon” sign is installed at the site of the east London Avenue Canal breach. Photo/Sandy Rosenthal

There is a sure sign of progress at 5000 Warrington Drive, the site of one of the worst levee breaches in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

A large “coming soon” now stands at the east-side breach of the London Avenue Canal in Gentilly announcing that an Open-air Levee Exhibition and Garden will soon be built.

Working with the the Gentilly Civic Improvementy Association and other neighborhood communities, the grassroots group Levees.org will build a series of exhibits that tell the full vetted story of why the levees broke nine years ago.

“It will be the only venue in the city like it,” says Sandy Rosenthal, founder of Levees.org. “Visitors and residents alike can come see and understand what happened here.”

Levees.org is leasing the property from the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority through the Growing Green program for $250 per year. After two years, there is an option to purchase.

An open house is scheduled for Friday November 14th from 4:30-6 at 1900 Wildair Drive in New Orleans where renderings and drawings for the planned exhibit and garden will be on display. The public is welcome.

The exhibit, designed by Carrie and Scott Bernhard with the Lime Agency for Sustainable Hot/Humid Design, will provide shelter, shade and comfort in the summer months by permitting natural air flow rather than impeding it. In the winter months, there will be enough sun to warm the visitors, but not enough to damage the exhibits.

The garden, also designed by the Lime Agency, will feature native plants and trees with a capacity to drink up large amounts of water and therefore help to manage stormwater and reduce the load on the municipal drainage system. Native vegetation also minimizes maintenance requirements and reduces the need for fertilizer, pesticides and supplemental watering.

“I look forward to walking outside and seeing something beautiful that we will all enjoy in this ravaged neighborhood for years to come, “ says Carmen Owens who lives across the street from the site.

Levees.org will pay for the exhibit and garden. For those wishing to contribute, please visit: https://rally.org/leveeexhibit

One response to “Work Progressing at Visitor’s Levee Exhibit and Garden”

  1. Hello,

    I am so glad to hear of the garden and exhibit. I am a Louisiana Master Gardener and I live on the 4800 of Warrington Drive, just across the street from where the breach took place. I would love to work with the gardening aspect of the project.

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