Funding secured for 9th Ward stadium building
3rd October 2022 · 0 Comments
By Ryan Whirty
Contributing Writer
After years of inaction and funding issues, the prospect of a publicly-accessible stadium in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward is finally nearing a reality.
Buffeted by the efforts of a community grass-roots team, a nonprofit called the 9th Ward Stadium project, that picked up the fumbled project and has dashed toward the proverbial “end zone,” multiple government officials have secured desperately needed funding for an athletic enterprise that began after Hurricane Katrina.
On Sept. 7, U.S. Rep Troy Carter announced that he had secured $3 million from the 2022 Congressional appropriations bill. By establishing the Ninth Ward stadium effort as a federally recognized Community Funding Project, the Carter-procured appropriation is fully a third of the estimated $9 million price tag for the stadium project.
Carter said the stadium, which would be constructed on a currently-vacant lot next to George Washington Carver High School, can not only be an anchor for the Ninth Ward community, but also a place where area residents can gather for recreation and sports opportunities that to a large extent have previously been absent for the neighborhood.
“For too long, the 9th Ward hasn’t had their own gathering spot to compete, to watch your children play, and simply share a joyous moment on the field with family and friends,” Carter said. “This is a historic moment for this community and for all of New Orleans.”
In addition to the federal funding, the stadium effort also recently received a $3.8-million commitment from the Louisiana Legislature, which appropriated the state funding through its Capital Outlay Program.
State Sen. Joseph Bouie Jr., who helped secure the $3.8 million from Baton Rouge, said the stadium would provide a shot of morale for the area, as well as a driver of economic development.
“Just the project itself will be a phenomenal addition as an asset for the Ninth Ward and Carver in particular,” Bouie said. “It can provide a sense of pride and psychological identification [for residents], and it can be a catalyst for community interaction.”
Bouie said he hopes the local community, especially the people of color who live in the heavily Black Ninth Ward, can now come together to provide additional funding and labor as the facility is built and then operated.
He added that the venue could not only host high-school football, but also other athletic and recreation events and educational youth programming. “It will be a wonderful opportunity for the Ninth Ward,” Bouie said.
New Orleans City Councilman for District E Oliver Thomas said that in addition to providing Ninth Ward families and youth with a source of athletic and recreation events and programs, the proposed stadium will also have ancillary benefits to the community, such as increased property values and an enhanced identity for Carver High School.
“If there ever was a field of dreams, this would be a field of dreams for that area,” Thomas said. “When people see such an investment in building projects, it can give them a level of hope and optimism that’s badly needed in this city.”
Thomas, whose district includes the Ninth Ward, said it’s been a long wait since the idea of a public stadium in the Ninth Ward was floated a decade and a half ago, but the efforts of a dedicated bunch of community advocates seem to finally be making headway, and he credited Carter with shouldering the burden of securing federal funding.
“It’s tremendous,” he said. “The congressman has been doing everything he can do ever since [the project] was first talked about, to the point where now [the project] can be realized. It makes us feel good, especially those of us in the Ninth Ward.”
Efforts continue to raise funds to obtain the remaining estimated $2.2 million to complete construction, a mission being carried out by the 9th Ward Stadium Project organization. 9th Ward Stadium Project board chairman Arnie Fielkow said the work of Carter, state representatives and City Councilmembers to garner funding for the long-gestating project represent a synergetic group effort.
“It’s truly an unprecedented partnership of federal, state and local governments,” Fielkow said.
Fielkow added that the project board is close to announcing a further $1 million donation from another funding source, cutting the money gap down to about $1.5 million, which he said will hopefully be secured by the end of the year.
If that goal can be achieved, he added, board members and community supporters will target fall 2024 for a grand opening of the facility. Fielkow said the project board is planning to hold a series of community meetings in 2023 to provide progress updates and solicit suggestions from residents and advocates.
“It’s been a labor of love for all of us,” he said, adding that stadium supporters “are nearing the goal line.”
Fielkow expressed thoughts similar to other supporters in terms of how beneficial a publicly-accessible stadium in the Ninth Ward might be.
“By being able to build something like this, we hope it can help youth problems, reducing crime and [spurring] economic development,” he said. “It will be a win-win for everyone.”
Carter said that when completed, the stadium will help bring the Ninth Ward, the surrounding area and to the people who live there, especially youth, a venue through which they can improve their lives and neighborhood. He added that such new enthusiasm will extend beyond the playing field and into the whole community.
“Communities have always gathered around competition,” Carter said. “Youth sports teach discipline, teamwork, and competition. Uniting through play binds not only a team together, but this unification ripples throughout the community and can carry over to other parts of life and encourage further positive activities.”
This article originally published in the October 3, 2022 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
