Magnolia Projects
| CJ Peetes Apartments | |
| Magnolia Housing Projects, Da Wild Magnolia | |
| New Orleans Neighborhood | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Louisiana |
| City | New Orleans |
| Planning District | District 6, Central City |
| Elevation | 0 ft (0.0 m) |
| Coordinates | 29°56′19″N 90°05′38″W / 29.93861°N 90.09389°WCoordinates: 29°56′19″N 90°05′38″W / 29.93861°N 90.09389°W |
| Area | 0.30 sq mi (0.8 km2) |
| - land | 0.30 sq mi (1 km2) |
| - water | 0.00 sq mi (0 km2), 0% |
| Population | 379 (2010) |
| Density | 1,263/sq mi (488/km2) |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Area code | 504 |
The Magnolia Projects, officially the C.J. Peete Projects, also known as "Da Wild Magnolia", was one of the Housing Projects of New Orleans. As part of the ongoing redevelopment, the area has been renamed Harmony Oaks. The project was among the largest, housing approximately 2,100 people. It is infamous nationwide for both high violent-crime rates as well as spawning a number of Hip Hop artists. They referred to it as "Magnolia: Home of the Soulja." Located in the part of Uptown New Orleans known as Central City, it was bounded by Louisiana Avenue, South Claiborne Avenue, La Salle Street and Washington Avenue. The Magnolia Projects are located within the 11th and 12th Wards of New Orleans. At its height, the Magnolia projects had 1403 units.
The first part of the project was constructed in 1941, bordered by Louisiana Avenue, Magnolia Street, Washington Avenue and LaSalle Street. In 1955, the complex was expanded north past Clara Street, incorporating about six additional city blocks. Toledano Street was re-aligned during the 1955 expansion, resulting in the disappearance of a three block long residential street named Belmont Place. The only remnants of Belmont Place are three houses facing Toledano before it joins with Louisiana Avenue. During the Jim Crow laws era of racial segregation, the city's main medical care facility for African-Americans, Flint Goodridge Hospital, was on the southwest end of the Magnolia on Louisiana Avenue. The first three African American mayors of New Orleans were born at Flint Goodridge. From 1952 through 1978, the manager was Cleveland Joseph Peete. In the 1980s and 1990s conditions in the projects have been neglected and declined severely. In 1998 demolition of portions of the projects began as part of a Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) revitalization plan.
By 2005, only the 1955 expansion had been razed. The majority of the remaining buildings were vacant and fenced off, with only a portion still occupied, when the area flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (see: Effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans). Redevelopment work has been delayed in the aftermath of the disastrous flood which devastated the majority of the city. As of late 2008, the Magnolia Projects had been vacated and the majority of buildings razed.On January 7, 2009, local, state, federal and HUD officials met to break ground on a new $183 million C.J. Peete community meant to replace the Magnolia Projects. The plans include 460 units, a Recovery School District school and YMCA in the first phase. 2/3 of the community will be mixed-use and mixed-income, with the rest being market value apartments and town homes.
...
Wikipedia