Withintrification: Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
Ever wonder what a historic neighborhood commercial district in Jacksonville can resemble after revitalization in the form of “withintrification” takes place? Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard in New Orleans is a good example of a model that can be easily replicated locally along corridors like Myrtle Avenue, Kings Road, A. Philip Randolph Boulevard, Moncrief Road, Main Street, Edison Street, McDuff Avenue and more.
A bowl of gumbo at Café Reconcile. | Ennis Davis, AICP
New construction townhome units on the 2000 block of Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. | Ennis Davis, AICP
A row of for-sale housing units developed by the Neighborhood Development Foundation on South Rampart Street. | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Muses Apartment Homes is a $50 million, 263-unit affordable housing development that was completed in 2010. | Ennis Davis, AICP
Located at 1800 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, Cafe Roma is a casual Italian eatery known for pastas, salads, sandwiches and creative pizzas in a modest setting. | Ennis Davis, AICP
Walking south along Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard near The Net: Central City charter school. | Ennis Davis, AICP
A group of consumers cross Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard at Euterpe Street, on their way to lunch. | Ennis Davis, AICP
A row of infill housing units on Thalia Street, one block southeast of Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. Intended to be affordable housing units, many of the units are used as Airbnb currently. | Ennis Davis, AICP
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 1300 OCH at H3C Apartments mixed-use development was held in January 2024. The $80 million affordable housing project includes 192 residential units and a community health clinic operated by DePaul Community Health Centers. | Ennis Davis, AICP
Lot 1701 is a tiny cottage retail pop up market at the intersection of Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard and Euterpe Street. Established in 2017, the former parking lot features eight 200-square-foot tiny homes built on trailer beds. The trailer beds allow for the spaces to be moved for special events and occasions. This concept provides up-and-coming entrepreneurs with temporary retail space while also increasing foot traffic and economic opportunity along the commercial corridor. | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Majestic Mortuary at 1833 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. | Ennis Davis, AICP
Public art at the intersection of Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard and Terpsichore Street. | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Ashé Cultural Arts Center at 1712 Oretha Castle Boulevard. The mission of Ashé Cultural Arts Center is to use art and culture to support human, community, and economic development. Established in 1998, the cultural arts center occupies 30,000 square feet of gallery and performance space in a former vacant department store building. | Ennis Davis, AICP
Big Sexy Neon is a local neon sign shop located at 1618 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. | Ennis Davis, AICP
The 1600 block of Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. | Ennis Davis, AICP
A view of Felicity Street, looking towards Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. | Ennis Davis, AICP
For more info visit the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants and Business Association at https://www.ochaleyblvd.org/.
Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com