Media Credit: Joe Buglewicz Right, Debra Lombard sits outside Cooter Brown´s , a local bar/restaraunt in the Uptown area of New Orleans. Cooter Brown´s, which opened late last week upon the return of power to the area, suffered around $10,000 in damages just from lost food.

NEW ORLEANS - Approximately 81,000 businesses, mostly local and family owned, have been displaced from the areas affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, according to Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Louisiana Economic Development.

"One of my top priorities is reuniting workers with their jobs and businesses with their customers," Blanco said Thursday morning at the Back To Business Seminar in Downtown New Orleans.

Some businesses have re-opened with steady local patrons, even while debris and fallen oak trees dot the streets in Uptown New Orleans, such as the Creole Creamery, the Bulldog bar and Cooter Brown's bar.

The Creole Creamery on Prytania sustained minimal water damage and opened for business on Sept. 30. Outside the ice cream parlor, piles of roofing material lined the sidewalk from the businesses next door.

Owner David Bergeron said he lost 320 gallons of ice cream, which is prepared in-house, and 13 of his 15 employees have been displaced.

Although eager to work on the city, small business owners told the panel of government officials, including Blanco and Mayor Ray Nagin, that they're angry at seeing contracts for food and construction go to out-of-state and foreign companies. Reuters reported late Thursday that rebuilding contracts awarded by FEMA without a bidding process will be open for rebidding.

Nagin projected that rebuilding New Orleans would cost billions of dollars each year for the next 10 years, an opportunity he advised local businesses to take.

"You're sitting at an unprecedented time, sitting in a position to create wealth," he said Thursday.

Changing tones, Nagin condemned unethical business practices and, later, the large amount of no-bid contracts offered by the federal government.

"I dealt with people predators during the storm," Nagin said. "Don't become an economic predator, sitting back and saying, 'How do I get my pie?'"

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools