MISSION STATEMENT

1. Re-establish the Pontchartrain Park (Home) Improvement Association as a CDC (Community Development Corp.) with it’s mission as follows:

a. Building and maintaining a historic community of African American Homeowners.
b. Purchase ALL HOMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SOLD BACK IN THE ROAD HOME PROGRAM; With a focus on re-populating those properties with first time homeowners. To pursue that goal, we will partner with homeowner programs that identify and prepare first time home buyers. Such programs as: 1. Neighborhood Development Foundation (Rosalyn Peychaud, dir.) 2. Financial Authority ( Mtumishi St. Julien, dir.)
c. To secure selection of Pontchartrain Park and Joseph Bartholomew Golf Course
to the National Historic Registry.
d. To maintain the Golf Course as a municipal course, and prevent its’sale to a private entity (as mandated in the City Charter). In the event the charter is changed, Pontchartrain Park Improvement Assoc. wants the Right of First Refusal to purchase the Golf Course. To restore the Joseph Bartholomew Golf Course WITHOUT CHANGING THE DESIGN OF 18 HOLES. The Golf Course is historic and its’ original design must
be protected.

2. Wendell Pierce and Terence Blanchard should announce the re-establishment of the Pontchartrain Park Improvement Association in a media campaign in print, radio and television immediately. We should use our public image to get our agenda in the media. We should paper the neighborhood with 1000 flyers with an urgent request that residents attend the January 15 meeting at N.O.R.A. with the Pontilly Non-Profit.

3. We will begin a Capital Campaign to raise the finances needed to purchase the available properties, and possibly the Golf Course, structuring our group so that the funds are protected and earmarked for the purchase of properties only. I would suggest, (1) A Celebrity Golf Tournament. We have verbal commitments from the cast of THE WIRE (HBO), Anthony Anderson, and Samuel Jackson. Both Terence and I have a relationship with Spike Lee who I’m sure would lend his name and support. (2) A Benefit Concert with Terence Blanchard, Wynton Marsalis, and others.

4. We define Pontchartrain Park as the 210-acre private housing subdivision surrounding the Joseph Bartholomew Golf Course and playgrounds, that includes Wesley Barrow Stadium and Southern University of New Orleans. The neighborhood’s border to the South is a drainage canal that bi-sects Congress Drive to the East and Press Drive to the West.. The Northern border is Leon C. Simon. The Eastern border is the Industrial Canal and the Western border is the levee system that separates our neighborhood and Seabrook.

5. Our goal is protection and restoration of Pontchartrain Park. While we share the same hopes to rebuild like our neighbors in Gentilly Woods, we are concerned about speculators redevelopment of th area without the input of the residents. We are advocates for restoring the community prior to the disaster. We will compete as developers of our own community. We are prepared to raise the funds needed to rebuild OURSELVES. We have the resources, desire and commitment.

We are exercising our right of SELF DETERMINATION. WE SHOULD NOT REDESIGN A HISTORIC SITE.

WE DO NOT WANT A PHOTO DATABASE OF OUR HOMES. IT’S AN INVASION OF PRIVACY.

WE DO NOT WANT TO CLOSE COGHILL SCHOOL AND MAKE IT A SENIOR CENTER. WE HAVE ONE ALREADY AND THE SCHOOL WILL BE NEEDED AS FAMILIES REBUILD.

THE DEMOGRAPHICS PRIOR TO THE STORM ARE IRRELEVANT.EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED. THIS IS A MULTI-GENERATIONAL COMMUNITY.

Wendell Pierce