A Season of Gratitude on Canal | | |
Dear friends,
My heart is so full after Thursday’s gathering at the Astor Crowne Plaza. 102 passionate and dedicated Celebrate Canal members were in attendance! Each Quarterly Meeting feels like a family reunion — a room filled with believers, doers, and champions who care deeply about Canal Street and the future of our great city. But this one felt especially meaningful. We are closing out our first full year together, and what a year it has been.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for showing up, leaning in, and lending your voices to this movement we are building together. Celebrate Canal is truly a citizen-led coalition — and Thursday was a reminder of just how powerful that can be.
A truly special thank you to the Astor Crowne Royal Hotel for hosting us - a magnificent display of excellence in all areas - the meeting rooms, the cuisine, the positive attention of all of the staff. Thank you Patrick Ciaccio and David Hume! You have set the bar very high and we are grateful. (Check out Celebrate Canal's Spotlight of the Astor Crowne Royal Hotel, 739 Canal Street, following!)
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Honoring Michael Hecht
2025 Visionary Catalyst Award Recipient
One of the most special moments of our meeting was presenting the Visionary Catalyst Award to our dear friend Michael Hecht, President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc.
Michael has been cheering us on from the very beginning. In fact, it was Michael who said the words that lit the spark:
“It will take a citizen-led initiative to get something done on Canal Street.”
We took that advice to heart.
And one year later — because of all of YOU — we have real traction, real visibility, and real momentum for BOLD action on Canal Street.
The award we presented to Michael honored his foresight, his early encouragement, and his unwavering belief that residents, neighbors, and citizens can transform a corridor when they commit to it together.
Michael, thank you for planting the seed. Thank you for believing that ordinary citizens can do extraordinary things. Your leadership truly helped ignite this movement.
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Our Keynote Speaker Walt Leger
We were delighted to welcome Walt Leger, President & CEO of New Orleans & Company. Walt shared an uplifting message about tourism’s recovery and the importance of a thriving Canal Street as our city’s front door and public face. His remarks underscored how closely aligned our work is with the city’s hospitality and economic development goals.
Walt brought us up to date on New Orleans' successful efforts competing with much larger cities for major conventions and events, stating we have assets other cities don't have such as walkability, a compact footprint, distinctive cuisine and culture and history.
We appreciate Walt's leadership and continued support and partnership as we move forward.
On an additional positive note, Walt announced that he recently added to the citiy's population with the birth of his third beautiful daughter Camille Rose who joins sisters Cate and Caroline. Congratulations to a favorite couple, Walt and Danielle Leger!
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A Beautiful Moment From
the Community
We were also touched by the heartfelt remarks from Kim Benoit, the grand prize winner of our Canal Street Scavenger Hunt from our partnership with New Orleans Magazine.
Kim visited all 27 merchants and spoke so beautifully about what the scavenger hunt meant to her — the people she met, and how it gave her the chance to walk Canal Street with fresh eyes, rediscovering the architectural gems, small details, and memories that make the corridor such a special part of our city’s soul.
Her story captured exactly why we do this work: because Canal Street belongs to everyone, and when families engage with it, the heartbeat returns.
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A Bold Action Plan for a Revitalized
Canal Street
The major part of our meeting was dedicated to the reveal of our bold action plan. While planning and hosting events, we also studied previous plans, met with public officials, property owners, stakeholders and citizens to hear ideas for moving forward.
The result - our plan covers the entire boulevard from the river to Claiborne and lays out a path toward a thriving, people-first future. We have developed a major economic development incentive program based on local, state and federal economic development programs.
Three planning areas:
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Goal - Our goal is to have some major projects completed, along with some of the smaller projects, in the next 5 years, in time for the 2031 Superbowl!
River Shopping & Living District - Blocks 400 to the river
In this area, partnerships with flagship retail, luxury residential, and a “NOLA Block” of local retail shops.
Family Attractions & Living District - Blocks 1100-1600
Partnership with Disney for Princess and Frog attractions, children’s theater, science & discovery museum, and mixed-income housing.
Economic Development incentives to be provided for ten major projects in the River District and the Family District.
Historic Shopping District - Blocks 1000-1500
A tenant improvement program will be created to restore the facades of up to 50 storefronts, with interior painting, plumbing, and utilities to prepare them for higher level merchants.
Streetscape - From the river to Claiborne Avenue, a streetscape with new lighting, sidewalks, trees, shrubbery, all connected by safer crossings, stormwater-smart design, and pedestrian-friendly improvements.
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Going BOLD Into 2026
Our first major goal was to bring families back to Canal Street.
Together we achieved that goal. Our next goal is even bigger:
To launch bold, transformative projects that will change the physical landscape of Canal Street.
This is the year we turn vision into action:
• Storefront restorations
• Streetscape improvements
• Flagship anchors
• Family-friendly attractions
• Public–private partnerships
• Creative funding tools
• A coordinated plan with corridor-wide support
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Partnerships That Give Us Strength
We are fortunate to have heartfelt support from some of our city and state’s most dedicated leaders — including Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.Mayor-Elect Helena Moreno, Councilmembers Lesli Harris and Freddie King, Chamber President Sandra Lindquist, Downtown Development District leadership, and the City Planning Commission.
Their voices affirmed what we already know:
This project matters. Canal Street matters. And the work is happening.
Their partnership is not symbolic — it is real, active, and essential as we begin the next phase of revitalization.
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A Year of Momentum & Milestones
This year, we proved that when the community leads, progress follows:
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Local visits to Canal Street increased by 5% — nearly 100,000 more residents returning to the corridor, according to Downtown Development District data.
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Media coverage surged by 196%, bringing new visibility and energy to Canal Street.
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Our story had the potential to reach 1.2 BILLION people worldwide, generating $2.7 million in media value, according to Gambel Communications data.
We are not just telling people that Canal Street matters — we are showing them.
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Bringing the Community Back
to Canal Street
Over the past twelve months, together we hosted:
- Five Community Meetings
- Two Children’s Scavenger Hunts
- Windows on Canal — our first season (and what a beauty!)
- A Champagne Stroll with the Chamber of Commerce & Downtown Development District
- An Art & Architecture Tour
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A Saints Season Kick-Off Pre-Party that brought joy back to the block
With each event, we invited residents to rediscover Canal Street. And the response was remarkable — families came, neighbors gathered, the street felt alive again. This is the foundation upon which the next chapter will be built.
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How You Can Help Right Now
As we refine this bold plan, we ask for your help:
• Connect us with civic champions
• Introduce us to planning, design, real estate, and finance professionals
• Share your voice and ideas — we want your imprint on this plan
This is a people’s project. And you are part of the team.
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Thursday filled me with such profound hope. I looked around that ballroom and saw the future — not just in slides or renderings, but in the faces of people who believe Canal Street deserves its renaissance.
We are building this together.
We are restoring pride.
And I am so grateful to be doing this work with all of you.
With love, gratitude, and unstoppable determination,
| | Don’t miss the Q4 Meeting photo highlights at the end! | |
Friends of Celebrate Canal Spotlight:
Astor Crowne Plaza
| | This month, we are thrilled to shine our Partner Spotlight on the Astor Crowne Plaza, a cornerstone of Canal Street at the iconic corner of Bourbon and Canal. The Astor’s hospitality and commitment to our city have made it not only a leader in New Orleans’ hotel industry but also a valued partner in our coalition. Their steadfast support for Celebrate Canal! exemplifies the kind of public-private collaboration that is essential to restoring Canal Street as a world-class destination. We are so thankful for their partnership and dedication. | | Planning & Policy Updates | | We are excited to share that the City Planning Commission has provided an important update to its 2018 Canal Street Study—a milestone that reinforces the urgency and promise of revitalizing our city’s historic main street. Even more significantly, the Commission has formally recommended that Celebrate Canal! serve as the designated entity for managing the future of Canal Street. This recognition is a tremendous step forward, underscoring the power of our citizen-led coalition and the importance of the work we’ve begun together. | | |
Upcoming Events
Lighting of Canal Street
In partnership with DDD and Canal Place
Tuesday, November 25 | 4:30–6:30 PM
Quarter 1, 2026 Coalition Meeting
Details coming soon!
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Please join @downtownnola and its partners at @canalplacestyle and @celebratecanal to welcome the holiday season and deck the streets of Downtown at our annual Lighting of Canal Street celebration on Tuesday, November 25, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at Canal Place Plaza (333 Canal Street).
This beloved neighborhood tradition invites New Orleanians to enjoy the commerce, culture, and community spirit of the Crescent City at a free, family-friendly event featuring live music from the Voices of St. Peter Claver Choir, hot cocoa from @pjscoffee, sweet treats from @brasaneworleans, and a special visit from Father Christmas himself.
The evening will culminate in the much-anticipated lighting of the Canal Street poles, when Downtown leaders and city officials flip the switch to illuminate the corridor in dazzling holiday decor for the remainder of the Christmas season.
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Don’t miss an update! Follow us for event details, stories, and Canal Street highlights:
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Thank you for your continued support. Every ticket purchased, every event attended, and every story shared fuels this movement. Together, we are writing the next chapter of Canal Street’s history.
See you soon!
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Q4 Coalition Meeting
November 13, 2025
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