Our Story

Bayou District Foundation: Pioneering Community Transformation in New Orleans

Introduction to Bayou District Foundation (BDF)

Established in 2006 by visionary New Orleans natives Gerard W. Barousse, Jr., Mike Rodrigue, and Gary N. Solomon, the Bayou District Foundation (BDF) operates as the vital Community Quarterback Organization for a collective of strategic partners dedicated to the redevelopment and revitalization of New Orleans’ Bayou District in Gentilly. At its core, BDF embodies a pioneering spirit, aiming to create prosperous, integrated communities through an effective, sustainable model.

Our Mission and Role

As a Community Quarterback Organization, BDF orchestrates a collaborative development strategy, uniting residents and partners to integrate essential elements such as real estate, community services, and healthcare. This holistic approach ensures the successful rejuvenation of neighborhoods and fosters a thriving, vibrant community ecosystem.

Our Impactful Model: Sustainable and Proven

Since its inception, BDF has championed the creation of a vibrant, mixed-income community at Columbia Parc, located on the site of the former St. Bernard public housing development. This area now features 685 mixed-income residential units spread over 13 city blocks, showcasing BDF’s commitment to comprehensive community renewal. Our model, inspired by the transformative East Lake Foundation in Atlanta, incorporates mixed-income housing, an educational continuum from cradle to college, and a focus on community wellness, setting a new standard for neighborhood transformation across the United States.

Enhancing Lives and Livelihoods

At Columbia Parc, nearly three-quarters of the residences are assisted by public housing subsidies or reduced rental rates, ensuring accessibility and affordability. All community members are actively engaged, either employed, in vocational training, or pursuing higher education. This engagement has catalyzed profound societal benefits, including a remarkable reduction in crime by nearly 100%.

Educational and Healthcare Initiatives

BDF has established critical educational and healthcare facilities to support community development:

• Educare New Orleans: Opened in 2013, this early childhood learning center serves 168 Head Start-eligible children, providing a foundational educational start.
• St. Thomas Community Healthcare Clinic: Launched in 2017, the clinic offers comprehensive primary care, including prenatal and dental services, in partnership with the March of Dimes and LSU Dental School.
• KIPP Believe K-8 Facility: Opened in 2019 adjacent to Educare, enhancing educational opportunities for 750 students.

Recreational and Economic Revitalization

Our partnership with New Orleans City Park has led to the creation of a world-class 18-hole golf course, which not only replaces previously blighted areas but also generates significant income to support community programs. This initiative includes a junior golf training center and the First Tee program, democratizing access to top-tier golf facilities for local youth.

A Model for National Replication

Inspired by the success of Atlanta’s East Lake community, BDF leverages the economic potential of the City Park golf facility to sustain and nurture the adjacent communities. Our model has not only proven successful in transforming the Bayou District but also serves as a blueprint for cities nationwide aiming to break the cycle of poverty and create enduring community prosperity.

Join Us in Transforming Communities

At BDF, we are committed to a future where every community member can thrive in a supportive, dynamic environment. We invite you to join us in this transformative journey, to build a better tomorrow together.

 

Mixed-Income Housing

To date BDF have completed 685 mixed-income rental units serving families and seniors and have developed 6 affordable single family homes.

See Columbia Parc

Cradle-to-College Education

Comprehensive community education is the linchpin in BDF’s overall mission. There is compelling evidence of the enormous literacy crisis for children of poverty, which continues to be a major problem in New Orleans ten years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

• Educare of New Orleans, a premier early learning provider, opened its doors in 2013 and is serving 168 students 6 weeks to 5 years old.
• A K-8 Charter school, KIPP Believe, started construction in 2017 and opened in 2019.
• High school ready students will have the opportunity to access the high performing KIPP high schools, as well as the new McDonogh 35 College Preparatory High School facility located three blocks from the Columbia Parc infant-through-eighth-grade campus.

Community Wellness

The Bayou District community has a St. Thomas Health federal qualified health clinic on site and is working to design and build a grocery and drug store proximate to the community garden and senior housing already in place.  A partnership with Kingsley House, nationally renowned as the oldest Settlement House in the South, provides on-site community support services for the residents of Columbia Parc.

 

1. The Bayou District Foundation with their partners Columbia Residential have completed 685 units of mixed-income rental housing.
   1. 12 city streets were rebuilt
   2. Two business centers, 2 theaters, 1 swimming pool, 2 playgrounds, 1 community meeting space were added as amenities
   3. An 80 yard playfield was installed in 2012
   4. All apartments were constructed to at least LEED Silver environmental standard
2. 50 single family affordable homes have been built and sold in the surrounding community.
3. Educare of New Orleans opened in October, 2010 and is serving 168 low income students.
4. Opened a community garden in 2014 in the center of the community
5. Opened a temporary Community Health Clinic which brought health care to a chronically undeserved area in 2014
6. Opened Bayou Oaks at City Park in April of 2017, bringing championship golf back to City Park and establishing an economic engine for the Bayou District Foundation.
7. Opened a permanent St. Thomas Community Health Clinic in August of 2017.
8. Completed construction on KIPP Believe in March of 2019 to completing the cradle to college pipeline.