Bookstore chair gives $20M to N.O.

[RamboLiberal]

Source: USA Today/AP

The chairman of Barnes & Noble on Tuesday announced what's believed to be the largest single philanthropic project in the city since Hurricane Katrina — $20 million from his family foundation to build new houses for residents displaced by the storm 2 1/2 years ago.

Leonard Riggio and his wife, Louise, plan to focus at least initially on the Gentilly neighborhood. As part of "Project Home Again," they plan to build 20 new, elevated houses for lower-income families. The idea for the pilot is for Gentilly residents — those who lived in the racially diverse, mixed-income neighborhood at least two years before Katrina and who still own property there — to swap their uninhabitable, storm-damaged homes or empty lots for houses that would be built on roughly 3 1/2 acres. Those families then would get forgivable mortgages, over five years, before owning the new houses outright.

Applications will be taken through April 15, with eligible families picked through a lottery. Officials hope to begin construction as early as this spring and complete work on the homes — depicted in a drawing as candy-colored structures of varying design and size — within a year.

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Tuesday in a tent on property along a tree-lined street in various states of recovery; residents of some of the large, brick houses across the way are back, while the fence along the back of the property is a tangle of weeds and vines, separating the cut grass of the lot from vacant houses.



Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-02-26-bookstore-donation_N.htm

[Richardo]

1. This is why I was proud of my time working p/t at B&N

Solid blue contributions, and heightened social awareness. Paid vacation and Medical Benefits for part timers. Domestic partner insurance.

Not all large companies are evil.

[blayne]

2. That sounds great, but

I am sure the houses aren't going to cost 1 million dollars each. Where's the rest of the money going?

[uppityperson]

3. Very cool.

I hope they have people watching where the money goes so it gets to the right places. Very cool that they are oding this.

[Jane Austin]

4. Bravo Riggios and Barnes and Noble!

What refreshing news.

[roguevalley]

5. I love bn and will continue even more my patronage.

[KamaAina]

6. Maybe they could open a store down there, too

Gentilly has a business district that is one of the city's 17 designated redevelopment areas. It has been struggling, to say the least; in particular, the supermarket was destroyed and has no plans to return.

B&N doesn't have any stores in the area; its competitor, Borders, has one, in suburban Metairie.

[funkybutt]

7. Borders is moving in on St. Charles

In that historic building that used to be a funeral home.

[Sabriel]

8. Um, isn't that the GOVERNMENT'S job?

So, now we have to depend on corporations for things like after-disaster relief, too?

It's not that I'm not grateful...it's just that it's disturbing to think that this is what it takes to get things done now.

[Psephos]

10. Why should it only be government's job?

Individuals and businesses (which are groups of individuals) have no role?

You used a strange wording, too - "So, now we have to depend on corporations for things like after-disaster relief, too?"

How did you arrive at the idea that we now "have to depend on corporations"? With a three trillion dollar federal budget, I'd say we're tremendously more dependent than ever before on government.

[funkybutt]

9. Thanks Barnes and Noble

I'd love to see a wave of such projects roll through NOLA in 2008.

[samsingh]

11. good for him