Carrollton Cars at the French Market Terminal

Two interesting streetcar-related developments this week. The big news is that NORTA approved the back-a-town line proposal:

with Canal and Riverfront covering the Uptown and riverside portions of the perimeter of the French Quarter, this new line will cover the lakeside and downriver segments. St. Claude Avenue at Press St. is still a hard boundary, because of the Norfolk Southern RR tracks at that intersection. It's not "train safety" that's the issue here, but the overhead trolley wire. NS runs those three-decker automobile transport cars on that trackage, and those cars have a higher clearance than the wire. Still, getting at least *to* the Bywater is a start.

Getting the back-a-town route moving makes sense in light of the retail/commercial development proposed for along Loyola Avenue. It would be difficult for the private development to move forward with the street ripped up while NORTA puts down track.

The other interesting item, from a streetcar history perspective, is things are moving on the development of the Market Street Power Plant. Developers are saying Bass Pro Shos will move into the massive structure on Tchoupitoulas, but nothing is official yet:

Despite Ullian's shameless pitch, Bass Pro spokesman Larry Whiteley said he's in charge of announcing stores and hasn't been told to announce anything in New Orleans. "It doesn't mean that we're not looking. But if they are, we're not at the point of announcing it," Whiteley said.

But elected officials and convention center executives have been told about the Bass Pro project, while local business groups such as the Magazine Street Merchants Association and Downtown Development District say they've been invited to briefings for plans at the site.

Both of these projects are huge boosts for the city!