Along Claiborne Avenue near downtown and Treme are signs of a once thriving commercial corridor that, at some point, fell apart.
Business owner Louis Charbonnet witnessed the downturn first hand.
He blames what, each day, takes thousands of people directly over, instead of through the area -- the elevated I-10 expressway.
"It destroyed the fabrics of this neighborhood,” Charbonnet said.“I mean, all along Claiborne Avenue used to be businesses -- family owned businesses, grocery stores, shoe repair shops, confectionaries, pharmacies, insurance companies. They're all gone."
Now, however, an effort to begin revitalizing the Claiborne Corridor is getting a big boost.
City leaders announced they're receiving a $2 million grant from the federal government to study possible solutions.
Deputy Mayor Cedric Grant expects the analysis to take nearly two years to complete.
"This will be the beginning of a very comprehensive look at traffic counts and analysis of other routes and those kind of things," Grant said.
At the center of the study -- whether to tear down and remove the elevated I-10.
The simple concept is to channel people directly through the neighborhoods and along Claiborne at the ground level, while relying on the 610 section of the interstate for commuting and travel.
But how to reach that point would be a massive undertaking -- and expensive.
"If money were not an object at all, I'd say tear it down for sure, but we've gotta look at what it's gonna cost," said Kurt Weigle, President of the Downtown Development District.
Weigle knows executing the idea would be difficult.
However, he believes it could deliver plenty of benefits -- from improving pedestrian and bicycle access, to connecting downtown to the future VA and university medical center.
"We see that being a huge component of our economy moving forward, and so, tearing down the barrier between us and all that economic activity is very attractive," Weigle said.
Grant says it could open numerous doors.
"I mean, to get Treme reconnected and to get the French Quarter and all of these communities connected and be able to easily traverse the city offers great economic opportunities in redevelopment of housing, redevelopment of commercial corridors and the like."
Louis Charbonnet likes to envision a day when the idea turns to reality.
"It could bring back some inner city valuable property back into commerce instead of just being a desolate place, a place that maybe some people are frightened of," he said.
Grant says leaders from Central City, the Ninth Ward, Hollygrove and Treme came together to help with the federal grant application process.
He says the city will now hire a team of analysts and consultants to conduct the study.
