Infrastructure Opportunity Update - March 2024

Written By Info at CBNO

Here’s our latest update on Infrastructure projects in the GNO Region. Thanks to GNO Inc. for compiling these updates and sharing them.

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March was another monumental month for regional infrastructure.   We’ve continued to march towards innovation and investments in clean energy, water management, and resilience, aided by unprecedented federal programs and creative regional partners.  Keep up the great work (detailed below), and consider competing for the opportunities (attached and explained below):

 

  • The 2024 Regular Legislative Session, scheduled from March 11 until June 3, is in full swing!  HB2, the Capital Outlay Bill, has been introduced and includes capital projects for all GNO parish partners, as well as other governmental entities and nonprofits.  A small sampling of many GNO projects to be funded through HB2, subject to passage by the legislature and signature by the governor, includes:

    • Port of New Orleans – Louisiana International Terminal Drainage, Site Preparation, Mitigation, Roadway and Rail Improvements, Planning and Construction ($150M total)

    • City of New Orleans – New Sewerage and Water Board Power Plant, Planning and Construction ($53.4M total)

    • Amite City – Regional Wastewater Treatment and Transmission Facilities, Planning and Construction ($40.7M total)

    • Southeastern University – Nursing and Health Science Building, Planning and Construction ($31.8M total)

    • St. Tammany Parish – St. Tammany Regional Sewer Consolidation Design, Planning and Construction ($30M total)

    • Port of South Louisiana – Globalplex Warehouse and Conveyance System, Planning  and Construction ($26.7M total)

    • DOTD – Peters Road Bridge and Extension, Planning and Construction ($24.5M total)

    • St. James Parish – West Shore Risk Reduction Connector Levee ($18.9M total)

    • City of Kenner – Pump to the River Pump Station Phase I, Planning and Construction ($16.7M total)

    • Downtown Development District – Harmony Circle, Planning and Construction – ($5M total)

 

 

  • The City of New Orleans has received an increased allocation of federal CBDG-DR money from the State’s Office of Community Development.  The City’s total Restore Louisiana program fund allocation is now $33.2M, with $15M through the Hometown Revitalization Program and $18.2M through the Resilient Communities Infrastructure Program.  These funds will address unmet needs and economic recovery related to impacts of eligible 2022-2021 storms.  The City may use this money to advance resilience hubs, reforestation, stormwater planning, and more possible projects.  Learn more about the City’s Restore Louisiana proposal online.

    • The City is accepting public comments until May 10, which can be sent to the City’s Office of Community Development (OCD) Disaster Unit at wayne.johnson@nola.gov.

 

  • Governor Landry, through Executive Order JML 24-25, created the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans Task Force to develop legislative solutions to water infrastructure, governance, and billing problems.  On March 27, the Task Force released its final report, covering drainage consolidation, power improvements, stormwater revenue base, canal maintenance, state assistance, and more.  The report’s three priority recommendations are:

    • SWBNO must assume DPW’s drainage duties

    • Appoint an independent arbitration panel to hear billing disputes

    • Reform civil service requirements for SWBNO

 

  • State legislators are taking action to address the Sewerage and Water Board Task Force’s priorities.  Relevant bills, as currently written, include:

    • SB305 (Harris) mandates that SWB be responsible for all drainage operations in New Orleans and that the City shall allocate an annual payment to SWB at the same level as DPW spends for drainage operations.  The bill also directs CPRA, the City, and SWB to work together on a citywide resilience plan; CPRA shall sign an agreement to assist with the City’s $141M award from HUD to implement the Gentilly Resilience District.  

    • HB525 (Willard) requires that SWB charge bills based on actual services, and not estimates. 

    • HB574 (Hilferty) requires that SWB present every residential customer with the option of paying a fixed monthly rate for services, determined by averaging the customer’s recent bills.  The bill also establishes an arbitration process, in which the legislative auditor, the City Council, and the inspector general appoint one arbiter per council district.

    • HB593 (Hilferty) deals with residency requirements of SWB employees.  The bill would allow Orleans Parish residency requirements of SWB employees to be exempted after a job is posted for 90 days and remains unfilled.  It would also transfer civil service oversight to the state.

 

  • The New Energy Technology Incubator (NETI), operated by Opportunity Hub (OHUB) and established through GNO, Inc.’s H2theFuture initiative, announced investments in five startups at New Orleans Entrepreneurship Week (NOEW).  This concludes the first cohort, and the second cohort is already underway.  GNO, Inc. encourages your organization or jurisdiction to collaborate with winners offering regionally-relevant public infrastructure innovations:

 

  • Finance New Orleans, in partnership with Elemental Excelerator, has launched the Resilient New Orleans Innovation Challenge.  The challenge seeks solutions that advance sustainable development of single-family home construction across construction and building materials, building performance solutions, and labor solutions.  FNO will pilot winning technologies in 13 resilient, well-built model homes in New Orleans, utilizing a $2M housing fund to finance the development.  Additionally, winners are eligible to receive up to $50,000 in non-dilutive capital.  Applications from businesses and startups are due on April 19.

 

  • EPA announced Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) selectees for the $14B National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) and the $6B Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA) programs.  All three NCIF selectees are Finance New Orleans’s long-time partners: Coalition for Green Capital, Climate United Fund and Power Forward Communities.  These selectees, through local clean financing institutions like Finance New Orleans, will form a national financing network that increases access to capital for climate and clean energy projects, particularly in low-income communities.  Financed projects may range from heat pumps to new housing units and new roof upgrades to charging stations.  GGRF is regarded as the single largest non-tax investment in the Inflation Reduction Act, the single largest investment in climate solutions in U.S. history.

    • More GNO partners are also partners of selected CCIA consortia.  For example, Enterprise Community Partners, Habitat for Humanity, and United Way are part of the Power Forward Communities coalition; NewCorp is part of the Opportunity Finance network; and OnPath Federal Credit Union and Jefferson Financial are part of Inclusiv.

 

  • The University of New Orleans and GNO-based Bernhard unveiled a state-of-the-art solar array on UNO’s campus, which will offset 17% of UNO’s annual electric consumption.  The project, positioned between The Cove and Privateer Place, is composed of 3,300 panels and was completed in just 10 months.  The solar array installation is part of a 25-year partnership between Bernhard and UNO to improve the school’s energy infrastructure, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support academic and research endeavors.  Over the partnership's 25-year lifespan, UNO anticipates that this and other energy improvements will result utility cost savings of $52.5M.  

    • Tax-exempt and governmental entities who build and clean qualifying clean energy projects are now eligible for “elective pay” or “direct pay.”  Via provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, your jurisdiction or organization may be able to receive a payment equal to the full value of tax credits.  The IRS issued final rules on elective pay and has updated their FAQs.

 

  • EPA’s Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program (PRP), administered by the University of New Orleans Research and Technology Foundation (UNORTF), closed a round of $1.9M, via FY21 and FY22 base funds, today.  However, a larger round of about $10.2M from one year of IIJA funds will open on Monday, April 15 and close on May 31.  This new round will provide awards of $350,000-$1.5M.  Local governments, nonprofits, and higher education institutions are eligible applicants.  PRP project activities include implementation, planning, design, education, outreach, research, and monitoring  relevant to basin environmental challenges of sewerage, stormwater runoff, agricultural runoff, saltwater intrusion, and wetland loss.  

 

  • USDA is making unprecedented investment in climate solutions through the $1.5B Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), awarding up-to $25M per project.  The Mississippi River Basin is a “critical conservation area” and priority resource concerns here include “excess or insufficient water (floor or drought)” and “water quality degradation”.  Local governments, higher education institutions, water districts, farmer cooperatives, and more are eligible lead applications.  Eligible activity types are land management, land rental, easement, and public works and watershed.  Note that RCPP-funded assistance must be carried out on agricultural or nonindustrial private forest land or on associated land, on which the National Resources Conservation Services determines an eligible activity would help achieve conservation benefits.

 

  • Delta Regional Authority (DRA) has opened its two signature grant programs for 2024 cycles.  States’ Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP) is distributing $16.9M, $50,000-$500,000 per project, for basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, business development with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, and workforce development.  The Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), making $29.5M available in awards of $500,000-$2M, supports projects that address flood control, basic public infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure improvements.  Applicants are encouraged to contact their Local Development District (LDD) for additional information or for assistance in developing their applications:

    • RPC is the LDD for Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard.  Contact Adam Tatar, Economic Development Coordinator & Transportation Planner, at atatar@norpc.org.

    • South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) is the LDD for St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist.  Contact Lesley Long, Planner III, at lesley@scpdc.org.

    • The Capital Region Planning Commission is the LDD for Tangipahoa and Washington.  Contact Vinny Braud, Economic Development Manager, at vbraud@crpcla.org.

 

  • The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is preparing to welcome 21 new buses to their fleet in September 2024.  Of these 21 buses, purchased for $18.6M, 15 are hybrid, with rechargeable energy storage capabilities.  Another 8 diesel buses, purchased for $5.8M, are expected to roll out in January 2025.  These buses will be a boon to RTA’s bus fleet – 40% of which has already reached the end of its FTA-determined useful life.

    • RTA hosted DOT Under Secretary Carlos Monje Jr., a GNO native, for a tour of RTA’s projects via federal investments in March.  RTA’s success with federal grants, like a total of $71.4M for low- and no-emissions buses awarded in 2023, is further chronicled in their 2023 Annual Report.

 

  • RTA’s work to restore the Rampart Streetcar Line continues, with active construction to repair damaged poles and overhead catenary power lines.  Training and testing will follow once infrastructure repairs are complete, with a “pull test” already successful.  The service is tentatively expected to resume by June, with Canal Streetcar service reaching the River restarting beforehand.

 

  • The City of New Orleans conducted the annual Christmas Tree Drop, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Louisiana Army National Guard, and waste management contractors.  This year, the City’s contractors collected approximately 8,000 trees, twice as many as the year prior.  Each year, Christmas trees are recycled in Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge and become a valuable line of defense against erosion and habitat for wildlife.  Over 25 years, the program has restored an area of marsh equal to approximately 200 football fields.  This activity is also deemed a valuable helicopter training exercise for the Louisiana Army National Guard. 

 

  • Friends of Lafitte Greenway is implementing the recently-completed Broad to the Bayou Master Plan.  18 new trees have been planted between the trail and canal, with support from SOUL and a City of New Orleans Parks and Parkways Tree Planting Grant.

    • Friends of Lafitte Greenway are also hosting a “Trail Completion Stoll” on May 10 to celebrate the release of an RFP for design that will complete the Greenway trail and safely connect it with City Park.  Construction of this phase, after design is finished, will fulfill the vision of a 3.1-mile long linear park, as outlined in a 2013 Master Plan.

 

  • Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) is now accepting applications for their three capstone grant programs, with May due dates.  The Beautification Grant provides reimbursement grants for beautification projects ranging from $1,000-$10,000  for planting projects and welcome signs in highly visible areas.  The Healthy Communities Grant provides funding from $2,500-$10,000 for local projects and programs influencing behavioral changes, from litter removal, enforcement, prevention, and education; or recycling, reusing, and refusing.  The Greener Grounds Grant provides reimbursement grants up to $10,000 to support Louisiana’s large outdoor events, such as festivals and fairs, in implementing the best practices for litter prevention, recycling, and waste reduction.

    • Love the Boot Week, Louisiana’s largest litter cleanup and beautification event, will happen from April 20-28.  Sign up to organize an official event or volunteer for one!  Last year, nearly 13,000 volunteers removed 313 tons of litter.  

 

  • Walmart’s 2024 Spark Good Local Grant program is open to nonprofits as well as government entities.  Each year, Walmart U.S. stores, Sam's Clubs and Distribution Centers award small cash grants ranging from $250 to $5,000.  Grants are facility-specific and are designed to address the unique needs of the communities, from shelters to community clean-up projects.  Applications for this submission period are due on July 15.

    • SC Johnson is also accepting corporate philanthropy grant applications from government entities and nonprofits for projects aligning with their giving pillars.  SC Johnson’s giving pillars are “a healthier world” (projects that address food insecurity); “a more sustainable world” (projects that reduce, reuse, or recycle waste); and “a world with more opportunity” (projects that advance equal access to employment , education, and housing).  

 

  • DOE is accepting applications for the 2024 Renew America's Schools Prize, which will invest $180M in clean energy infrastructure improvements at public K-12 schools.  In Phase 1, DOE will award up to 23 winners $300,000 in cash prizes to assemble a team, a portfolio of school facilities, and demonstrate a need for energy improvements.  In Phase 2 and 3, winners will be invited to negotiate a cooperative agreement, worth up to $14M, with DOE to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.  Submissions from teams, which must include a Local Educational Agency, are due on June 13. 

 

  • HUD is making $225M available for the Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE), specifically meant to assist manufactured housing and eligible manufactured housing communities.  PRICE will support low- and moderate-income homeowners in units or communities with critical investments such as repairs, infrastructure improvements, upgrades to increase resilience, services like eviction prevention and housing counseling, and planning activities such as those needed to transition to resident-managed communities.  Applications from governments, nonprofits, and CDFIs are accepted until June 5, and awards are up to $75M.

 

  • The City of New Orleans has won $381,471 through DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program.  Within the City, energy use in buildings accounts for roughly half of greenhouse gas emissions, which this award intends to address. With this award, the City will launch a green energy campaign a Community Energy Advisor paid volunteer group, and a new one-stop-shop website on federal clean energy incentives.  

    • The campaign will also work to promote the City’s Solar for All NOLA program that was relaunched in February.  Solar for All NOLA, in partnership local solar companies PosiGen and Solar Alternatives, offers free solar feasibility studies to all interested households and businesses and provides leasing and financing options for low-cost energy efficiency upgrades.  The City’s Climate Action Plan calls for 1,400 solar installations, representing 10MW of capacity, through the Solar for All NOLA program by 2030. 

 

  • The Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) is hosting a breakfast briefing next Tuesday, April 16 to highlight Jefferson Parish infrastructure efforts. The event, “Focusing on Quality of Life in Jefferson Parish: Upgrading Aging Infrastructure,” will occur from 8-9am on April 16 at the Sheraton Hotel in Metairie.  Cynthia Lee Sheng, Jefferson Parish President, and Mark Drewes, Director of Public Works, will participate in a panel moderated by BGR’s Rebecca Mowbray.  The event is free with registration.

 

  • EPA and DOT’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) will hosted a joint webinar on port funding opportunities today.  EPA’s Clean Ports Program offers $3B for zero-emission equipment and infrastructure deployment and planning.  MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) offers $450M for planning and capital projects related to safety, efficiency, and reliability.  PIPD applications are due on May 10; Clean Ports Program applications are due on May 28.

 

  • DOT has opened the 2025-26 Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) Program, offering $5.1B in total through three programs.  Local governments and political subdivisions are eligible for all three:

    • Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) provides $2.7B for multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, accessibility, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of freight and people in and across rural and urban areas. 

      • In 2023-24, the Port of New Orleans won $226M from INFRA for the Louisiana International Terminal Project.  DOT noted that “the project is strong in Economic Impacts, Freight Movements and Job Creation.”

    • National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) provides $1.7B for large, complex projects that are difficult to fund by other means and are likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility, or safety benefits.  Eligible projects include highway, bridge, freight, port, passenger rail, and public transportation projects of national or regional significance.

      • In 2023-24, the Port of New Orleans also won $74M from Mega, one of just 11 awardees nationally.

    • Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Rural) provides $780M for highway, bridge, and tunnel projects that improve freight, safety, and provide or increase access to agricultural, commercial, energy, or transportation facilities that support the economy of a rural area.

 

  • DOT has posted more first-of-their-kind grant programs:

    • The Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant Program assists in facilitating and evaluating public-private partnerships and exploring innovative financing and delivery opportunities for Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) eligible projects.  Recipients can receive technical assistance grants to conduct pre-construction tasks (like value-of-money analyses) or expert services grants to hire professionals to deliver public-private partnerships.  $57.7M is available, with grants of up-to $2M.  Applications are due on May 10.

    • The Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) assists with planning, design, or construction of safe and connected active transportation networks.  Eligible infrastructure may include be sidewalks, bikeways, and trails that connect destinations such as schools, workplaces, residences, businesses, recreation areas and medical facilities.  A goal of program is to integrate active transportation facilities with public transit.  $45M is available, with grants of up-to $15M.  Applications are due on June 17.

    • The Development and Deployment of Innovative Technologies for Concrete Pavements Program seeks to improve the quality and performance of concrete pavements.  Funding will stimulate, facilitate, and expedite the deployment and rapid adoption of new and innovative technologies relating to the design, specification, production, testing, control, construction, investigation, operation, and impacts of concrete pavements.  $5M is available for one winner, which can be a private company.  Applications are due on May 20.

 

  • The Surface Transportation Board (STB) held a hearing on New Orleans-Mobile passenger rail restoration in February and ordered that all parties (Amtrak, CSX, NS, and the Port of Mobile) file written clarifications by March 15.  Clarifications were requested on the status of Federal grants, environmental review, and Amtrak’s land-use agreement for Mobile’s station.   The joint status report has since been filed, indicating that the grant agreement for Amtrak’s $178M CRISI grant should be finalized by May 2024.  30% design plans for the Mobile station project were finalized by Amtrak and CSX in mid-January 2024, and Amtrak has hired an environmental consultant to facilitate environmental review.  After continuous meetings in Mobile, Amtrak is hopeful that the Mobile City Council will schedule a vote to approve both the land use agreement and the funding agreement in April or May 2024.  The City of Mobile is expected to contribute $3.048M to the service via the funding agreement.  The filing notes that construction of the Mobile station “is a requirement before the commencement of passenger operations.”

 

  • The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has allocated $400,000 in Interstate Rail Compacts (IRC) funding to the Southern Rail Commission (SRC)’s Rail-Ready Project.  IRC funding is not eligible to directly fund rail capital projects; however, the SRC will use funding for administration, promotion of intercity passenger rail operations, operations coordination, and preparation of other competitive federal grant program applications.  SRC will continue to support activities that prepare entities to deliver rail capital projects within our region, namely New Orleans to Baton Rouge and New Orleans to Mobile passenger rail services.

 

  • The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the availability and individual state allocations of approximately $811M in Digital Equity funding.  Louisiana’s tentative allocation is $12.7M to implement its Digital Equity Plan, intended to empower individuals and communities with the tools, skills, and opportunities to benefit from meaningful access to high-speed Internet service.   The plan includes strategies to advance goals of “device availability and affordability,” “digital skills,” “cybersecurity,” amongst others.

    • In the coming months, NTIA will launch the discretionary $1.25B Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, which will make funds available to political subdivisions, nonprofits, local educational agencies, workforce development organizations, and more.

 

  • NTIA also released a new mapping tool, the NTIA Permitting and Environmental Information Application, to help grant recipients and others deploying infrastructure identify permit requirements and avoid potential environmental impacts when connecting a particular location to high-speed internet service.  The tool consolidates federal maps from the FEMA, EPA, USACE, NOAA, National Parks Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and other federal sources.  By mapping floodplains, critical habitats, historic places, tribal lands, and more, the tool is intended to help grantees understand permit requirements early and avoid environmental impacts.

 

  • Louisiana Infrastructure Technical Assistance Corporation (LITACorp) continues to offer two grant programs for local governments in Louisiana.  The Matching Funds Grant Program (MFGP) can provide $50,000-$1M per project for local match requirements.  The Technical Assistance Program (TAP) provides no-cost support with project development, funding identification, grant writing, and grant administration. 

 

  • The Office of Planning and Budget within the Louisiana Division of Administration stands ready to provide infrastructure-related assistance and letters of support for grant packages.  To request support, please email infrastructure@la.gov.

 

The table below highlights discretionary grant opportunities now open and eligible for local governments.  A spreadsheet is also attached for your convenience.  Please share this information with colleagues, consultants, and grant writers working with your respective jurisdictions.  If GNO, Inc. can support your applications (through a letter of support or other means), please let us know.

Please share this information with colleagues, consultants, and grant writers working with your respective jurisdictions.  If GNO, Inc. can support your applications, through a letter or other means, please let us know.


Questions? Have updates to share? Contact:

Peter Waggonner

Public Policy Director

Greater New Orleans, Inc.

1100 Poydras Street, Suite 3475

New Orleans, LA 70163

pwaggonner@gnoinc.org

Info at CBNO
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