New Orleans Businessman, Henry Coaxum is joined by NASA Executive, Mike Dawson as Keynote speakers at the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Meeting.  In a presentation entitled, New Orleans East: An Economic Engine for the Region, the entire focus was on the current and future opportunities in New Orleans East.  Approximately 250 residents, stakeholders, current and potential business owners  were in attendance.  As clearly reflected in the information given, New Orleans East is undergoing a restoration and transformation guided by smart resident developed strategy - repositioning the area to play a major role in the future of New Orleans. Physically comprising 66% of the city's land mass and containing large tracts of developable land, economic and industrial growth will depend on the area.   Census data and Urban Planning experts support significant growth projections over the next ten years.

Post Katrina of public and private investment, already totaling over $3.2 billion, has improved flood protection, enhanced aviation facilities and reopened parks and playgrounds.  Attendees were also made aware of the tremendous service and retail opportunities currently existing in a population of over 64,000 residents - approximately the same size as Kenner. New Orleans East has a bright and important future - the statistics clearly support this contention. Dawson's eye-opening presentation on NASA's state-of-the-art facility, which is now available for private sector utilization, provided a good look at the potential for high end business recruitment. New technology companies such as the recent occupation by Blade Technology. can benefit significantly from the areas technical and natural infrastructure. Coaxum, who is also chair of the New Orleans Business Alliance is bringing the resources of the agency to bear on retail recruitment.  This, coupled with existing residents' and business owners' can-do attitude, New Orleans East is indeed on a track toward excellence - one that will benefit the city and the region.