New Orleans (La.). Office of the Mayor. Community Improvement
Agency.
Office files, 1969-1976
6 cu. ft.
Act 170 of the 1968 Louisiana Legislature authorized the creation of a Community Improvement Agency in
and for the City of New Orleans. Local approval of the Agency came through a City Council resolution on
September 5, 1968. Two months later, on November 12, 1968, the CIA held its organizational meeting. It
was directed by a seven-member Board, appointed by the Mayor with City Council approval and
administered by an Executive Director who supervises a staff of State Civil Service employees.
The Community Improvement Agency was established as the City's urban renewal department. From its
inception the CIA sought the rehabilitation of blighted areas rather than massive slum-clearance projects.
In pursuit of this goal the Agency encouraged property owners to improve their holdings and assisted them
in financing those improvements. Unrepairable structures were demolished and the properties cleared for
reuse. The CIA also implemented improvements to streets, lighting, drainage, and open space within the
blighted areas.
The Lower Ninth Ward became the first project area in 1969. In the following years the Desire/Florida,
Gravier, and Central City areas were added along with the special Health Education Authority of Louisiana
(HEAL) medical complex. Project Area Committees were formed in each of the four major sections.
These bodies served as the means of local citizen participation in project planning and implementation.
In 1973 the CIA became the City's action arm for the Public Improvement Programs in the Irish Channel
and Broadmoor neighborhoods. The Core Area Development District, responsible for revitalizing the New
Orleans Central Business District, chose the Agency as its planning consultant in1975. Toward the end of
the 1970s the CIA was completing its urban renewal phase and began to act more as a citywide housing
improvement body. This role was encouraged by the federal Community Development block grant
program, which provided funds for general areas of service rather than for specific projects or sections.
In the mid-1990s, the activities of the Community Improvement Agency were assumed by the New Orleans
Redevelopment Authority.
In 1979 the City Archives received approximately 35 cubic feet of office files from the CIA. These were
extensively weeded and 9.5 cubic feet were retained. Included are correspondence files, contract files,
monthly reports, minutes of board and staff meetings, and samples of rehabilitation, relocation, and
property acquisition files. A number of loose photographs were removed to the Municipal Goverment
Photograph Collection, Community Improvement Agency Series.
Inventory
Box 1
- Administrative Records:
- Affidavits on advertisements, 1974
- Correspondence:
- CETA
- Civil Service (General), 1969-1972
- Civil Service (Position Allocations)
- HUD
- Interoffice memos, 1971-1972
- Interoffice memos, 1973-1974
- Financial Reports:
- Accouning reports, 1972-1973
- Budget, administrative, 1973
- Budget, capital, 1974
- Budget, capital (expenditures), 1974
- Budget information, 1971
- Budget, operating, 1973
- Budget, third action year, 1973
- Budgetary status report, 1971
- Capital projects and expenditures, 1973
- Investments
- Revolving fund balance sheets, 1973
- Meetings
- Board Meetings, minutes and agendas, 1971, 1974-1975
- Log of weekly meetings, 1975
- Staff meetings, minutes, 1971-1972
- Office Documents
- Administrative policies, preliminary draft, 1972
- Property management manual
- Property rehabilitation standards, revision, 1974
- Proposal for joint CIA/City action programs, 1973
- Specifications for rehabilitation, 1970
- Urban renewal land disposition guidelines, 1975
- Reports
- Monthly, 1971
- ND201 Activity Program Summary, 1972
- Report on Activities, n.d.
- Report on existing and proposed staff organization, 1974
- Summer Recreation Program
- Correspondence, 1974
- Correspondence (previous programs)
- Orientation, suggested schedule
- Registration
- Report from State Department
- Site information sheets
- Contract and Proposal Records:
- Barton-Aschman Associates, Inc.
- Beall Engineers, Inc.
- Candeub, Fleissig, and Associates
- Carter and Burgess
- Cashio, Chochran and Sullivan
Box 2
-
- Costley, Miller, and Satterthwaite, Inc.
- DeLaureal Engineers, Inc.
- Delta Testing and Inspection, Inc.
- Economics Research Associates
- Environment Seven, Ltd. And Harley-Clark-Bell and Associates
- Exotech, Inc.
- Folse, Robert R. And Urban Research Corp.
- Granada Construction Co.
- Guice, Frederick M.
- Hebert, Louis J.
- Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood Council
- Loyola University
- Management Consultants
- Mills and Mills Engineers, Inc.
- Miscellaneous
- Newsom Demolition Co.
- Parkway and Parks Commission
- Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co.
- Perino's Garden Center and Landscape Co.
- Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory
- Relocation Services (Central Relocation Agency)
- Schwarz, Roy M.
- Sewerage and Water Board
- Shilstone Testing Laboratories
- Stelco Inc.
- Talluto, Peter J.
- Third Ward Neighborhood Improvement Association
- Tufaro Co., Inc.
- Tulane University School of Architecture
- Venable, M.R.
- Planning Records:
- Cizek, Eugene D.
- Dryades Street Improvement Project (Specifications)
- Environment Seven
- Gravier Park
- Modjeski and Masters
- Project Administration Correspondence (2 folders)
- Project Planning
- Public Improvement Project (2 folders)
Box 3
- Project Records:
- Central City
- Office files
- Correspondence
- Interoffice Memos
- Project Area Committee, Contracts
- Project Area Committee, General
- Project Area Committee, Monthly Reports
- Reports, Monthly
- Staff Meetings, Minutes and Agendas
- Street Improvement Program
- Summer Recreation Program
- Survey of Structural Conditions
- Rehabilitation Files
- Baronne St., 2612 (C-80)
- Daneel St., 2011 (C-26)
- Daneel St., 2114 (C-28 - Inspection file only)
- Dryades St., 2701 (C-43)
- Felicity St., 1928 (C-36)
- First St., 534 (C-495)
- Fourth St., 2404 (C-510)
- General Pershing St., 2515 (C-475)
- Jackson Ave., 2125 (C-33)
- Jackson Ave., 2304 (C-38 - Inspection file only)
- Jackson Ave., 2627 (C-363 - Inspection file only)
- Josephine St., 1920 (C-40)
Box 4
- LaSalle St., 2230 (C-132)
- Milan St., 2519 (C-901)
- Peniston St., 2311 (C-407)
- Philip St., 2424 (C-19)
- Saratoga, S., 2024 (C-12)
- Second St., 2105 (C-41)
- Washington Ave., 2024 (C-25)
- Core Area Development District:
- Building Condition Survey (maps)
- Canal-Common
- Canal-Tulane
- Common-Gravier
- Dome Site
- Girod-Julia
- Gravier-Perdido
- Iberville-Canal
- Julia-St. Joseph
- Lafayette-Girod
- Perdido-Poydras
- Poydras-Lafayette
- St. Joseph-Howard
- Central Business District-Preservations
- Correspondence
- Edwards, Aldrich
- Housing
- Hyatt Regency
- Julia St., Firehouse
- Magazine St., 755
- Manget Map
- Minutes of Meetings
- Miscellaneous
- National Register of Historic Places
- Sewerage and Water Board
- Sidewalk and Street Conditions
- Skid Row
- Weekly Reports
- Desire/Florida:
- Office Files
- Correspondence
- Interoffice memos
- Project Area Committee
- Project Area Improvements
- Property Acquisitions
- Reports, Monthly
- Rehabilitation Files
- Clouet St., 3409 (D/F-134)
- Clouet St.,3417 (D/F-135 - Inspection file only)
- Desire St., 2504 (D/F-175)
- Dorgenois, N., St., 3114 (D/F-26)
- Feliciana St., 2236 (D/F-101)
- Florida Ave., 3000 (D/F-157 - Inspection file only)
- Florida Ave., 3100 (D/F-53)
- Laussat Place, 3044 (D/F-235)
- Louisa St., 2932 (D/F-232)
- Miro St., N., 3132 (D/F-364)
- Montegut St., 2215 (D/F-233)
- Piety St., 2217 (D/F-18)
- Piety St., 2388 (D/F-168 - Inspection file only)
- Piety St., 2432 (D/F-20 - Inspection file only)
- Piety St., 2820 (D/F-141 - Inspection file only)
- Gravier:
- Office Files
- Budgets
- Correspondence, General, 1973
- Correspondence, General, 1975
- Correspondence, Incoming, 1974
- Correspondence, Incoming, 1975
- Correspondence, Outgoing, 1975
- Expenditures
- Financial Statements
- Interoffice memos, acquisitions
- Interoffice memos, acts of sale
- Interoffice memos, general, 1973-1975
- Interoffice memos, general, 1975
- Minutes of staff meetings
- Project Area Committee
- Relocation Plan
- Report--Structural Classification
- Reports--Business Project
- Reports--Monthly
- Reports--Weekly, 1973
- Reports--Weekly, 1974
- Box 6
- Specifications for Demolition of Buildings
- Specifications for Street Improvements
- Summer Recreation Program
- Property Acquisition Files
- Dupre St., S. (662, 638-640, 644, 719, 729-729 1/2, 739-741)
- Gayoso St., S. (645-647, 655, 723, 734-736, 739-739 1/2, 746-748)
- Gravier St. (2819-2823, 2904-2906, 2912-2914, 2921, 2928, 2932-2934, 2936, 3013-3019)
- Perdido St. (2917, 2927-2929, 3009)
- Tulane Ave. (2918, 2928-2930)
- White St., S. (629, 639)
- Square 613
- Additional Acquisitions
- Rehabilitation Files
- Dupre St., St., 647
- Gayoso St., S., 617-619
- Gayoso St., S., 618 (C-3 - Inspection file only)
- Gayoso St., S., 629-622 (Inspection file only)
- Gayoso St., S., 621 (Inspection file only)
- Gayoso St., S., 624-626 (Inspection file only)
- Gayoso St., S., 627 (Inspection file only)
- Gayoso St., S., 637 (Inspection file only)
- Gayoso St., S., 652 (Inspection file only)
- Gayoso St., S., 701 (Inspection file only)
- Gayoso St., S., 714-724 (Inspection file only)
- Gayoso St., S., 739-741 (Inspection file only)
- Gravier St., 2904-2906 (Inspection file only)
- Gravier St., 2919
- Tulane Ave., 2914 (Inspection file only)
- Tulane Ave., 2828-2830 (Inspection file only)
- Tulane Ave., 2932 (Dobbs House-Inspection file only)
- White St., S., 629 (Inspection file only)
- Relocation Files
- Family Relocation Records, A-W (24 files)
- Individual Relocation Records, B-W (7 files)
- Lower Ninth Ward:
- Office Files
- Correspondence
- Educational and Recreational Programs
- Interoffice memos, acquisitions
- Interoffice memos, acts of sale
- Interoffice memos, general
- Lower Ninth Ward Housing Development Corporation
- Project Area Committee-Contract Agreement
- Project Area Committee-General

coded: 8/20/2001
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