KEY TAKEAWAYS:   New Orleans businesses faced crises, political upheaval and economic uncertainty in 2025   Major events included Super Bowl LIX, infrastructure spending and leadership changes   Port, airport, construction, health care and hospitality drove economic momentum   Despite setb acks, revenue growth, expansions and major investments continued   In the iconic “Pivot” scene from Friends, Ross, Rachel, and Chandler try to move a sofa by twisting and turning the oversized furniture up the stairwell. After many turns and pivots, the three are unable to move it up the stairs, and the sofa is cut in half. Ross remarks, “I can’t believe that didn’t work.” Rachel sarcastically responds, “I know, me neither, I mean, you had a sketch.” The same can be said for New Orleans in 2025. She had a sketch. But after many twists and turns, that sketch had to be erased. And New Orleans had to pivot. The year started with a horrific Bourbon Street terrorist attack the morning of New Year’s Day when a truck sped through the French Quarter and killed 14 innocent people and injured 37 others. Three weeks later, a winter wonderland hit the city as 10 inches of snow fell to the ground – tying a record last seen in 1895. In February, just one month after the terrorist attack, New Orleans showed her resiliency as she always does. With downtown under heightened security, New Orleans welcomed more than 100,000 visitors for Super Bowl LIX – an approximate $500 million in economic impact. The city even received a makeover before the big game as GNO Inc. President/CEO Michael Hecht quarterbacked more than $70 million in infrastructure projects. Mardi Gras rolled on in March. Festivals continued in April, including Jazz Fest 2025 welcoming 460,000 fans for Lil Wayne, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, and Trombone Shorty. In May, New Orleans made national headlines, and not in a good way, as 10 inmates escaped from Orleans Parish Prison. It took five months for all 10 prisoners to be caught. The end of May and early June saw a long Louisiana Legislature session – 59 days – finally come to an end with rising insurance costs as the focal point. In June, Churchill Downs threatened to pull out of the Fair Grounds, but a last-minute deal secured horse racing through at least this season. Also in June, a new Louisiana law revived Hollywood South. In July, Amtrak launched service between Mobile and New Orleans. In August, one of the biggest twists in 2025 came when New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was indicted on 11 counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to a federal grand jury. Her police bodyguard, with whom she had an alleged affair, was also indicted on seven counts for fabricating NOPD timesheets. In October, former council member Helena Moreno was elected New Orleans Mayor, and stark facts greeted her: the City of New Orleans ran out of enough money to afford its payroll and needed a $125-million loan from the state. She also had to cut the budget for 2026 – saying there will be nearly $150 million in spending cuts and more than 700 furloughs, aimed at tightening municipal operations. Moreno has ushered in a period of transition, complete with new, business-focused transition committees designed to help her administration identify short- and long-term priorities and shape policy recommendations. While New Orleans had its own internal issues, the national landscape did not help matters locally. On-again and off-again international tariffs threatened much of the New Orleans import and export business. An up-and-down economy impacted residents’ and tourists’ spending. Federal funding cuts wiped away local nonprofit budgets. A 43-day, federal government shutdown disrupted critical services, including the temporary suspension of SNAP benefits. Despite all of 2025’s twists and turns, the New Orleans economy managed to tread forward. Multi-million-dollar and multi-billion-dollar construction projects were announced. Local businesses reported increased revenues and expansion plans. The New Orleans airport received positive news of added flights in and out of MSY. New Orleans restaurants garnered long overdue national recognition. MA activity was up. Realtors sold more homes. The Manning family became a player in New Orleans health care. And Orleans Parish Schools earned its highest letter grade ever. Here is a recap of the most notable business stories from 2025. Port Advances LIT Project; Airport Rebrands and Gains Flights At the 2025 State of the Port address in November, the Port of New Orleans announced strong growth across its cargo, rail, real estate, and cruise operations. A new economic impact study showed port activity generated $101.5 billion in economic value for the U.S. in 2024, including $31.5 billion in Louisiana. There were 1.2 million cruise passenger movements last year, and $49 million in breakbulk infrastructure upgrades. Port NOLA is a deep-draft port located on the Mississippi River via the Gulf of Mexico with access to 30-plus major hubs via 14,500 miles of waterways, 6 Class I railroads and interstate highways. Port-related activity supports 342,150 jobs nationwide and more than 122,000 in Louisiana. Port leaders also provided an update on the $1.8 billion Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) being constructed on 1,100 acres in St. Bernard Parish. Port leaders anticipate they will receive all the necessary permits by the end 2025, and then the project is on track for construction in early 2026. LIT will open in phases beginning in 2028. It will eliminate air-draft restrictions that limit the size of vessels that currently call on Port NOLA, dramatically increasing Louisiana’s import and export capacity while also fostering strategic inland growth. LIT is expected to generate 32,000 new jobs nationwide, 18,000 in Louisiana, and 4,300 in St. Bernard, as well as more than $1 billion in total new state and local tax revenue by 2050. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) started 2025 with a logo rebrand, and the anticipatory air travel influx for the city’s hosting of Super Bowl LIX. In January, MSY unveiled the “Plane de Lis” – a logo shaped like a Fleur de Lis, distinguished with the top illustrating a plane taking flight and symbolizing the airport’s role as a gateway to possibility. According to airport leadership, the logo’s Fleur de Lis shape expresses New Orleans’s nobility, beauty, strength, rebirth, and cultural identity. MSY says the new brand was developed through community engagement, workshops, and a design process, resulting in a new identity that “reflects the spirit of New Orleans and the surrounding region, as well as the airport’s role as a global gateway.” That role as a global gateway was enhanced by many airline carriers announcing added flights in 2025. Allegiant launched a new flight from MSY to Punta Gorda, Florida, beginning in November 2025. Southwest Airlines will increase year-over-year frequencies next summer from MSY to Las Vegas and Orlando. Beginning February 2026, Breeze Airways will add flights from MSY to Cancun, Mexico, and from New Orleans to Las Vegas and Los Angeles. In June 2025, Breeze Airways launched service from MSY to Tampa. Frontier Airlines announced Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, and Houston, as four new nonstop routes to and from New Orleans, beginning in February 2026, and Frontier announced 12 new routes to MSY from Feb. 12-22, 2026, to enhance Mardi Gras travel to the Crescent City. In February 2025, Spirit Airlines began a route from MSY to New York-LaGuardia. However, following its announcement of bankruptcy in the fall, Spirit cut and suspended five routes from New Orleans, including to Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Raleigh/Durham, and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The cuts were part of a 25% reduction in Spirit’s overall flight schedule. In August 2025, MSY broke ground on an $84.5 million express shuttle roadway that will ease traffic congestion and improve passenger access between airport facilities. Funded by Federal Aviation Administration grants under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Express Shuttle Connector Road will create a dedicated route linking the airport’s south campus — home to parking garages and the Rental Car Center — with the north campus terminal. Officials said the road will reduce shuttle travel times and lay the groundwork for future intermodal connections, including a planned passenger rail line between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Although MSY’s 2025 included many positive markers, overall, the year’s total passenger counts were down as of August 2025 (the most recent data available as of press time). The total passenger summary as of August was 8.3 million, a 4.9-percent decrease from 2024’s 8.7 million during the same period. The facility’s highest passenger totals in the year’s first eight months occurred in March at a count of just under 1.2 million. Total aircraft operations including freight as of August are up a slight tick year-over-year at 0.9 percent with 36,765 flights. Saints Sign Lease Extension at Superdome Through 2035 In October, New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed a lease extension for the state-owned Superdome, guaranteeing the Saints in the dome until at least 2035. The extension replaces the previous agreement set to expire in 2030. The new deal, which includes up to four five-year options that could extend the commitment through 2055, is crucial as it immediately allows the Saints to pursue bidding for the 2031 Super Bowl. The Superdome has undergone nearly $1 billion in repairs and modernizations since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans’ Public Companies Entergy and POOLCORP Report Profits Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) reported a successful third quarter for 2025, increasing consolidated earnings and earnings per share compared to the same period in 2024. The core utility business drove an increase in consolidated earnings as utility earnings for Q3 2025 were $810 million ($1.79 per share) compared to $787 million ($1.82 per share) in Q3 2024. The primary reasons for the increase in utility earnings were the net effect of regulatory actions, higher retail sales volume, and higher other income. “We had another successful quarter executing on initiatives for all our customers,” said Drew Marsh, Entergy Chair and CEO. “Our pipeline of potential data center customers continues to expand, and we’re ready for the opportunity including increasing our agreement for power island equipment by an additional 4.5 gigawatts and securing critical long lead time equipment.” In notable Q3 news, the Louisiana Public Service Commission approved generation and transmission resources needed to support Meta’s $27-billion AI data center in Louisiana. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans and distributes electric power to 3 million customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has approximately 24,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, annual revenues of $11 billion, and more than 12,000 employees. Headquartered in Covington, POOLCORP is the world’s largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool and related backyard products. The company operates 454 sales centers in North America, Europe, and Australia, through which it distributes more than 200,000 products to roughly 125,000 wholesale customers. This year, POOLCORP celebrated its 30th anniversary as a public company listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq/GSM: POOL) and POOLCORP recently delivered positive Q3 results, building off second quarter momentum. Net sales increased 1 percent compared to the third quarter of 2024, driven by sustained customer demand for maintenance products and improved sales for building materials. The company’s gross profit grew by $12.8 million, resulting in a gross-margin increase of 50 basis points to reach 29.6 percent, up from 29.1 percent in the prior year. Net income rose to $127 million compared to $125.7 million in the third quarter of 2024. Consequently, earnings per diluted share increased 4 percent to $3.40, up from $3.27 in the previous year’s third quarter. Net sales of $4.3 billion remained flat for the nine months ending September 30, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. Gross margin was 29.6 percent for the first nine months of 2025, compared to 29.7 percent during the first nine months of 2024. “Building on momentum from the second quarter, we achieved sales growth in the third quarter of 2025,” said Peter D. Arvan, POOLCORP President and CEO. “We continued to strengthen our industry leading position by adding four new locations this quarter and elevated our customer experience through expanded private-label offerings and strategic product partnerships. New Orleans Companies Increase Revenue; Several Set Record Numbers For the first time in the 50-year history of the construction company, LEMOINE reported over $1 billion in annual revenue, increasing 76 percent year-over-year from $591 million in 2023 to $1.04 billion in 2024 revenue. Ten additional local construction companies reported revenue gains to CityBusiness in the “Top Private Companies” publication: Woodward Design+Build: $193 million revenue (82% increase) Rotolo Consultants Inc. (RCI): $135 million revenue (6.3% increase) Donahue Favret Contractors, Inc.: $119 million revenue (8.2% increase) Ryan Gootee General Contractors: $88.5 million revenue (5% increase) Landis Construction: $83 million revenue (48% increase) Cycle Construction: $49.6 million revenue (31% increase) Mullin: $23.4 million revenue (15% increase) Carimi Construction Development: $20.5 million revenue (58% increase) Gulf States Construction Services: $11.4 million revenue (165% increase) BEI General Contractors: $6.2 million revenue (35% increase) All four private company banks reported revenue increases in the 2025 “Top Private Companies” published by CityBusiness. Gulf Coast Bank Trust Co. reported its second consecutive YoY double-digit increase, improving 13 percent to $341 million in 2024. First American Bank and Trust reported $60 million of revenue in 2024, up 5 percent from the 2023 revenue of $57.2 million. Resource Bank continued the increases with a 13-percent revenue improvement, up to $53.5 million in 2024. Metairie Bank reported a 21-percent increase, jumping to $33.1 million in 2024. During the last two years, Metairie Bank’s revenue has increased 43%. The two major players in the Greater New Orleans health care industry – Ochsner Health and LCMC Health – continue to increase services, expand their presence, and drive growth through investments, partnerships, and acquisitions. Ochsner Health reports $7.7 billion in revenue in 2024, up from $7.3 billion in 2023. Revenue is also up at LCMC Health, reporting $3.48 billion in 2024 revenue, compared to $3.3 billion in 2023. Twenty-two New Orleans area companies made the prestigious “2025 Inc. 5000” list – featuring the fastest-growing private companies in America. Privately held and for-profit companies are ranked according to their percentage revenue growth over three years, from 2021 to 2024. The local companies on this year’s list included NOLA DMC, Crew One Productions, Percipience, SSE Steel Fabrication, Sandstone, Synergy Design Group, Longbranch Recovery Wellness, Search Influence, Rep Data, The Next Solar Energy Technology, Scott Vicknair Personal Injury, WyCo Services, Perrier Esquerré Contractors, Nola @ Home Care, RED Group, Ampirical, Flexicrew Technical Services, Crescent Payroll Solutions, Susco Solutions, Extreme Nitrogen, Ready Power, and Proforma Key Solutions. Return of Hollywood South? State Passes Legislation to Revive Film Industry After years of declining film productions in the state, 2025 marked a crucial moment for the Louisiana film industry as the state legislature reinvigorated the tax incentive program. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed Act 44 in June, a law that some stakeholders claim will strengthen the state’s motion picture production tax credit program and make Louisiana among the most competitive states in the nation for film production. The law alters the state’s film incentive program by granting Louisiana Economic Development (LED) the authority to manage the program through administrative rules instead of state law. The law also preserves the program’s stability by maintaining the $125 million annual cap and 2031 sunset date while removing per-person and per-project caps. Lawmakers propose this will make it more attractive for large-scale productions and episodic series. Similar to how LED negotiates deals with national and foreign companies that want to invest in the state in other industries, LED has the authority and flexibility to negotiate tax incentives, workforce development solutions, studio and land use needs and any other benefits that the larger studios would want in order to film in Louisiana. In October, film industry leaders from across the state traveled to Los Angeles to meet with studio executives, producers and independent filmmakers. On the visit, local officials presented studio executives with a newly released Film Louisiana Locations Lookbook, a digital flip book resource that catalogs diverse filming locations across the state. On the heels of the new law, the 36th Annual, Oscar-qualifying New Orleans Film Festival was held in October, showcasing 130-plus films over a week-long event that celebrated independent filmmakers, diverse voices and local talent. The event is the “Super Bowl” of annual programming produced by the New Orleans Film Society. Restaurant News: Emeril‘s Earns Two MICHELIN Stars in Inaugural South Guide Emeril’s earned two MICHELIN Stars in the inaugural The MICHELIN Guide American South 2025. Three stars is the highest level of accreditation a restaurant can receive from the MICHELIN Guide, and it is rare that a restaurant debuts at the two-star rating. There are only 35 restaurants across the country rated at two stars by MICHELIN. Chef E.J. Lagasse, son of legendary chef Emeril Lagasse, won the MICHELIN Young Chef/Culinary Professional Award. Two New Orleans restaurants – Saint-Germain and Zasu – earned one MICHELIN star, while 29 additional New Orleans restaurants received recognition at other MICHELIN Guide levels. Eleven earned the “Bib Gourmand” distinction (offering great food at a great value), and 18 were honored among “Michelin Recommended Restaurants.” In April 2025, Michelin and Travel South USA announced an inaugural MICHELIN Guide American South publication, covering top restaurants across Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, all to join the pre-existing Atlanta Guide. The honorees were announced in November. Trader Joe’s opened its first New Orleans location in August 2025, bringing 80 new jobs and a national grocery brand to the city’s Tulane Avenue corridor. The 9,683-square-foot store, located at 2501 Tulane Ave. across from the VA hospital, is the third Trader Joe’s in Louisiana. Dooky Chase’s Restaurant reopened its historic upstairs dining space this past summer. For more than 80 years, the restaurant’s well-known upstairs dining area has hosted civil rights advocates, cultural figures, and served as the venue for freedom riders and local leaders, where civil and economic rights were championed for New Orleans and the rest of the nation. Now, a recent renovation to the upstairs dining area of Dooky Chase’s has preserved the legacy of the civil rights movement and reopened the space, modernizing it to deliver a private dining room area that is available for events, parties, and special dinners. The Grand Isle oyster business made a major comeback in 2025, marking its strongest year since commercial exports nearly disappeared in the early 1980s. Innovative aquafarming techniques and a cooperative branding effort under the Grand Isle Jewels label are driving the resurgence, boosting awareness, and expanding distribution. As part of a $140,000 grant by LED to the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission to assist the seafood industry, the “Grand Isle Jewel Off-Bottom Oysters” brand campaign markets regionally sourced boutique oysters and unites a range of off-bottom oysters grown in Grand Isle under a single, location-specific label. Palace Café shut its doors after 34 years as a landmark on Canal St. Dickie Brennan Company cited a court ruling that went against the family in a fight over the fair market value of its property lease and purchase options at 605 Canal St., where the restaurant has operated since 1991. Dickie Brennan Co. is appealing the decision, and the ownership group did not rule out the restaurant possibly reopening later. Palace Café was the first restaurant to open in New Orleans from Dickie Brennan Co., which consists of Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, Bourbon House, Tableau, Acorn Café, The Commissary, Pascal’s Manale and Audubon Clubhouse. Tracey’s Original Irish Channel Bar closed after 15 years in business on Magazine St. Citing a sluggish economy, dwindling patron spending, and the cancellation of the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day parade block party due to weather, the owner could not continue operations. Ballard Brands – the parent company of PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans and WOW American Eats – has a new leader. In April, Peter J. Boylan, III, retired as President and CEO at Ballard Brands, though he will continue to provide counsel as an advisor. Executive VP and Chief Development Officer David Mesa will now serve as the hospitality and food service company’s President of the Franchise Division. Under Boylan’s nine years as a leader, Ballard Brands expanded into 26 states and international markets, saw double-digit unit and revenue growth, and entered nontraditional channels like airports, military bases and healthcare facilities. Ritz-Carlton, Canal Barge Headline MA’s in New Orleans New Orleans experienced a number of mergers and acquisitions in 2025. Dickie Brennan Co. bought Bellegarde Bakery, adding a longstanding New Orleans bread maker to its portfolio. Bellegarde moved its artisan operations (deck ovens and stone flour mill) into Dickie Brennan Co.’s The Commissary Market + Kitchen (634 Orange St.) in the Lower Garden District, so that the company can continue production for its wholesale distribution. The Bellegarde name and brand will continue “as is.” Bellegarde was founded in 2000. Two New Orleans grocers combined forces as Langenstein’s sold its grocery stores to Robért Fresh Market. Langenstein’s was New Orleans’s oldest family-run grocer, in business since 1922. Robért acquires Langenstein’s in Old Metairie (800 Metairie Road), Uptown (1330 Arabella St.), River Ridge (122 Sauve Road), and Prytania Wine Spirits (1300 Arabella St.), and its gourmet meal family recipes. Robért Fresh Market was founded in 1994. Rouses Markets acquired 10 Winn-Dixie store locations in Louisiana and Mississippi from Southeastern Grocers. The move will expand Rouses’ footprint, bringing its store count to 76 in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Each location will be rebranded under the Rouses banner. Rouses was founded in 1960 in Houma by Anthony J. Rouse Sr. and remains family owned. In March, the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans hotel was sold. The iconic Canal Street hotel and its neighboring Courtyard by Marriott New Orleans French Quarter/Iberville are under new ownership as Gencom – a Miami-based investment firm – acquired the 758-key hospitality portfolio comprised of two connected hotel properties situated in the French Quarter. In June, Canal Barge was acquired by Redwood Holdings, a New York-based investment firm. A 92-year-old marine transportation and logistics solution company, Canal Barge has grown from a single barge in 1933 to now a fleet of over 900 tank, hopper, and deck barges, 50 towboats, a liquid bulk terminal, and the largest independent towing and fleeting service on the Illinois River. Canal Barge President/CEO Merritt Lane will become CEO of the holding company and Canal Barge Executive VP of Marketing David Lane will continue to serve in a senior leadership role overseeing Canal Barge’s operations. Merritt Lane said, “Redwood is the ideal long-term home to continue the legacy of the CBC Family and provide opportunities to our mariners and shore-based employees.” Canal Barge reported $531.4 million in revenue in 2024, a 6 percent YoY increase. Revenue has increased 42 percent over the last five years. In the largest credit union merger in Gulf South history, Keesler Federal Credit Union and Jefferson Financial Federal Credit Union merged to create a powerhouse institution with combined assets exceeding $4.8 billion, serving more than 369,000 members across 55 branches in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The New Orleans-based law firm of Mouledoux, Bland, Legrand Beckett merged with Nalley, Dew and Miner, LLC, based in Metairie. Following the merger, MBLB has 60 attorneys across offices in New Orleans, Lafayette, and Chicago. Nalley was founded in 1990 in Metairie by George J. Nalley, Jr. MBLB was founded in New Orleans in 1997. Two of the Southeast’s oldest law firms along the Gulf Coast combined. Phelps expanded its Florida presence by combining with Beggs Lane, the oldest law firm in Pensacola – established in 1883. Twenty-one attorneys joined Phelps as the law firm now has more than more than 425 attorneys across seven southern states and London. Masonry Products Sales Inc. acquired Brick and Block Products LLC., consolidating two of the leading masonry suppliers in New Orleans. The deal allows Masonry Products to offer both companies’ exclusive product lines and expand its footprint in the metro area. Founded in 1954 by Joe Ward and Bill Foster, Masonry Products Sales has grown into the largest masonry supplier in the New Orleans region. Citation Capital has acquired a majority stake in Gallo Mechanical. Citation is a Dallas-based private equity firm. Gallo, a family business, was founded in 1945 in New Orleans. The specialty mechanical contractor provides large-scale HVAC and plumbing installation and services. Gallo’s management team will retain a significant interest in the company. New Orleans-based Rampart/Wurth Holding Company, Inc. acquired NAI Latter Blum, the commercial brokerage division of Latter Blum | Compass Real Estate. The sale creates the largest commercial real estate sales, leasing, and management company in Louisiana. Rampart/Wurth Holding manages over 10,000 multifamily units, 1,000 single-family units and 20 million square feet of commercial assets throughout the Gulf South region. The acquisition comes less than a year after Compass purchased Latter Blum. Rampart/Wurth Holding acquires NAI Latter Blum’s more than 1,200 commercial listings. McEnery Residential announced its second expansion in less than a year, doubling the size of its Covington office by combining with The Morse Team, a family-owned real estate company with more than 40 years of experience in St. Tammany Parish real estate. In 2024, McEnery Residential acquired Delery Comarda Realtors. McEnery is a residential real estate brokerage company with more than 70 real estate agents and three offices across the Greater New Orleans area. The Morse Team was founded by Kay Morse, who retired in 2020 after 34 years. McNeely Mack Properties and the Brady Panter Group joined Rȇve Realtors, and with the acquisitions, Rȇve has opened a Covington office. Rȇve has more than 150 agents across the GNO area and a total annual volume of close to $500 million. One of the top producing real estate agents in the Greater New Orleans Area, Alice McNeely leads McNeely Mack Properties, a luxury home agency that has a combined more than 75 years of experience. The Brady Panter Group is composed of luxury real estate agents Louise Brady and Allison Panter, who bring more than three decades of real estate and corporate marketing experience. NOLA Home Realty Group has joined Compass Inc., the largest residential real estate brokerage in the U.S. by sales volume. Led by broker-owners Liz Tardo and Melissa McClendon, the 17-member team at NOLA Home Realty Group has 37 years of combined experience. Save Our Cemeteries became part of the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, expanding PRC’s preservation outreach to protect and revitalize New Orleans’ most iconic sites. Despite SOC dissolving as an independent nonprofit, the merger enables SOC to have access to more resources under the PRC umbrella for education, preservation, and restoration. Legacy New Orleans Jeweler Closes After 127 Years Following 127 years of business, Adler’s Jewelry announced the closure of its flagship Canal St. location (722 Canal St.) and its Metairie store (2937 Veterans Boulevard). The closure comes following third-generation owner Coleman E. Adler, II, announcing his retirement after 62 years in the business. In a news release, Adler, II, explained his four children, Tiffany, Coleman III, Millie, and Mickal – have each built careers, are deeply involved in the New Orleans community, and all have decided to not keep the jewelry business going, but all intend for the Adler name to continue to be an important part of the business climate in New Orleans. Residential Real Estate: John Goodman’s Home Headlines Top Sales of 2025 A Garden District home, formerly owned by legendary actor John Goodman and previous to him, Nine Inch Nails lead singer Trent Reznor, sold for $4 million in September. An Italianate-Greek Revival luxury home built in 1850, 2425 Coliseum St. ranked as one of the highest priced homes sold in 2025 in the Greater New Orleans area. The home was joined by 11 Lasalle Place, which sold for $4.7 million in April, and 168 E. Oakridge Park, which sold for $4.325 million in March. Another memorable sale in 2025 was 1311 Jefferson Ave. – the former home of Sean Payton when he coached the New Orleans Saints. The Uptown home sold for $3.2 million in February.  The celebrity name-drop does not end there; Paul McCartney, Andrea Bocelli, Shania Twain, and Jon Batiste have also visited the home. Those names can be attributed to the most recent seller who has ties to the music and entertainment industry. Its new owner is a local businessman. The buyer’s and seller’s names were kept confidential. In New Orleans, 2025 perpetuated the bifurcated real estate market where lower-priced homes languished due to the unaffordable combination of rising interest rates, flood insurance rates, and homeowners’ insurance premiums. Conversely, higher-priced, often more resilient properties sold more readily as their buyers were better positioned to absorb the steep costs. Despite the gap between higher-priced and lower-priced homes sold, closed sales performed well in 2025 in New Orleans. Realtors sold 18,383 homes in the New Orleans metro area through October 2025, up 2.2 percent YTD. The average sales price was $357,841, up 4.1 percent YTD. The days on market remains high at 68 DOM, up 11.5 percent YTD. New listings are down 4.7 percent YTD with 18,383 new listings through the first 10 months of 2025. All home sales statistics are courtesy of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors® (NOMAR). In other real estate news, Metairie Towers failed to sell at auction in September as bids did not reach the minimum $10 million sought by developer Darren Aschaffenburg. The more-than 50-year-old building has 219 units, which have been vacant since Hurricane Ida caused damage in 2021. In 2024, Aschaffenburg purchased the seven-story complex for $24.5 million, envisioning lower-density luxury condominiums with an added penthouse floor, resort-style pool, and state-of-the-art amenities. He secured architectural plans, government approvals and even down payments from interested buyers. But financing stalled and a loan deadline loomed. The property is gutted and “shovel ready,” with permits, variances and engineering complete. Aschaffenburg said he will seek partnerships to help fund his vision if a sale does not take place. The Pythian Building on Loyola Avenue is back on the market after a second unsuccessful attempt in two years to sell the property, including a failed deal with an Atlanta affordable housing developer. The 116-year-old residential building, which underwent a $46 million renovation in 2018, features 69 apartments, office space, a former food hall, an event venue and a total of 123,266 square feet of mixed-use space. Corporate Realty is managing the sale. JRK Property Holdings acquired two luxury apartment communities in New Orleans. The acquisitions include The Delaneaux, a 210-unit complex on Annunciation Street and Lumina, a 382-unit property on Conti Street. JRK already manages more than 1,250 multifamily units in Louisiana, including in Baton Rouge and Hammond, but these acquisitions represent the company’s entry into New Orleans. “The Local on Severn” in Metairie sold for $17.6 million. The 161-unit apartment complex is located near the Lakeside Shopping Center. Audubon, an Atlanta-based rental housing investment company, sold the apartment complex to The Medve Group, a Dallas-based property management group with a portfolio of properties across Louisiana. In January 2025, Metairie-based SRSA Commercial Real Estate launched SRSA Residential. For over 30 years, SRSA has facilitated transactions for clients like Entergy, Trader Joe’s and Chick-fil-A. as well as projects like the Clearview City Center redevelopment. Commercial Real Estate: Office Market Maintains Stable Occupancy Rates Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Greater New Orleans office market has survived the changing dynamics of hybrid/remote work impacting occupancy rates negatively. That resilience continued recently as a local report shows occupancy rates have remained stable. Corporate Realty published its “2025 2nd Quarter Office Occupancy and Absorption Survey,” and New Orleans CBD Class A office buildings have a 78.11-percent occupancy rate, compared to 79.35 percent in 2024. Class B CBD buildings report a 75.53-percent occupancy rate. Metairie Class A office buildings report an occupancy rate of 81.94 percent, compared to 81.70 percent in 2024. Metairie Class B office buildings report 90.07 percent occupancy. The West Bank reports 85.96 percent leased in its office buildings, compared to 86.33 percent in 2024. The North Shore Class A market showed a 95.04 percent leased, compared to 99% reported in 2023, according to the 2024 annual report by Corporate Realty. In other commercial real estate news, Stirling and Kent Design Build have moved into a new corporate headquarters in a more than 50,000-square-foot Class A office building in Covington. The Class A office building – River Chase II – is located near the intersection of I-12 and LA Hwy. 21. Both companies have longstanding ties to St. Tammany Parish. Stirling has maintained a presence in the region for five decades, while Kent Design Build has been based in St. Tammany since its founding in 1996. Collectively, they employ more than 200 in the area. NAI Rampart will relocate its corporate headquarters to the 110 Veterans Building with plans to occupy 12,000 square feet on the second floor by January 2026. Founded in 1989, the company manages more than 10,000 multifamily units, 1,000 single-family units and 20-million square feet of commercial assets throughout the Gulf South. Of the 400-plus employees and agents across the Rampart/Wurth Holding Inc. family of companies, approximately 15 full-time employees and about 30 commercial agents will occupy the space at 110 Veterans. On the heels of two mergers in late 2024, United Real Estate | Partners announced the launch of its new commercial division in early 2025. The commercial division will operate from the firm’s New Orleans Garden District office (1700 Josephine St., Suite B) and will specialize in commercial property sales and leasing. For the first time in 50 years, KB Plaza has hit the market. Corporate Realty announced that one of New Orleans’ most architecturally significant office buildings – a seven-story, 69,569-square-foot building at 1055 St. Charles Ave. – is listed for $11.44 million. Originally commissioned by John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co. in 1962, the property became the corporate headquarters for KB Drugstores in 1973 and has remained a fixture in the city’s Central Business District. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. KB Plaza has long operated as a multi-tenant office property, currently 83 percent leased. Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson purchased 1515 Poydras – a 27-story, Class A office tower positioned along the primary New Orleans business corridor. Benson hopes the investment will both spur downtown growth and enhance and expand the Sports and Entertainment District near the Caesars Superdome and Smoothie King Center. Completed in 1983, 1515 Poydras has nearly 529,000 rentable square feet of Class A office space and includes a 494-space parking garage. Corporate Realty will manage the property. Robertson St. Ventures LLC acquired Elmwood Oaks Office Park at 201 Evans Rd. The local real estate investment group, led by Richard Juge of REMAX Commercial Brokers, plans to invest more than $1 million in renovations aimed at modernizing the 6.6-acre campus-style office complex. Currently, four single-story professional buildings are vacant, and following renovations, Juge plans to bring them back onto the market. In July, Corporate Realty announced that five downtown landmark properties hit the market. For a sales price of $10 million, the United Fruit Building property package consists of 321 and 327 St. Charles Ave. and 710, 714, and 720 Union St. The properties total more than 95,000 square feet. They center around the 10-story United Fruit Building at 321 St. Charles Ave., which was first erected in 1920. The building portfolio totals 14,813 square feet of rentable space. The sites are development-ready for a transformative hotel, luxury residential or mixed-use project. Top Construction Projects Move Forward in 2025 Louisiana can lay claim to multi-million-dollar and even multi-billion-dollar construction projects either being announced or taking place across the state in 2025. Grabbing top headlines in 2025 was the Meta AI Data Center – Hyperion, which broke ground in Richland Parish and is projected to cover 4 million square feet and possibly cost $27 billion. The new cost is almost three times the original $10-billion price tag announced, due to increased building, power, cooling costs and infrastructure costs connecting the various parts of the campus. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, projects that the AI data center will support 500 or more direct new jobs. LED estimates the project will result in the creation of more than 1,000 indirect jobs. Meta also estimates 5,000 construction workers at peak buildout. Meta expects construction to continue through 2030 with site work beginning in December. Australian fossil fuel company Woodside Energy Group will build a $17.5 billion LNG export terminal in Calcasieu Parish, following its final investment decision on the project formerly known as Driftwood LNG. The company said its first batch of liquified natural gas is expected to be produced in 2029, and the facility will generate an estimated 16.5 million metric tons of LNG for the global fuels market. Hyundai announced a $5.8 billion steel mill in Donaldsonville by 2029. The facility will produce ultra-low-carbon steel, create over 1,300 direct and 4,100 indirect jobs, and is expected to be located on a 1,700-acre site along the Mississippi River within the RiverPlex MegaPark. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has announced a $4 billion final investment decision to establish a low-carbon ammonia facility in Ascension Parish. The CF Industries facility will be located at the RiverPlex MegaPark, the same industrial park where Hyundai Steel Company announced a $6-billion manufacturing facility. The investment is a joint venture with JERA Co., Inc., Japan’s largest energy company, and Mitsui Co., Inc., a leading global investment company. CF Industries Holdings is the world’s largest producer of ammonia. The project is expected to create 103 direct new permanent jobs with an average salary of $110,000. First Solar Inc. inaugurated its $1.1 billion manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish. The 2.4-million-square-foot facility is one of the largest solar manufacturing plants in the country and employs more than 700 workers. The facility leverages AI to try and improve quality and efficiency, employing computer vision and deep learning to automatically detect defects during production, while operators use AI-powered tools to guide decisions on the assembly line. In February, a $500 million manufacturing facility broke ground in Jefferson Parish. In Cornerstone Energy Park, UBE C1 Chemicals America, Inc. will establish the first reliable domestic U.S. supply of dimethyl carbonate and ethyl methyl carbonate, critical components of rechargeable lithium-ion battery and semiconductor manufacturing processes used in a variety of products, including electric vehicles. The facility is projected to make 60 new, full-time, skilled positions and over 400 temporary construction jobs. Facility operations are estimated by 2027. A Canadian mining company, Aclara Resources Inc. announced a $277 million plan to build the first U.S. heavy rare earth separation facility at the Port of Vinton in Calcasieu Parish, where it will process imported rare earth metals using hydrochloric acid for use in various motors and electronics. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and be completed in 2027. Aclara’s Louisiana facility is expected to directly employ 140 people. A Swiss technology company, Neuro.io will invest $100 million in Houma for a BrainHUB innovation campus. This multi-phased project, starting in late 2025 and continuing through 2035, will be built at the former Houma Courier site and aims to create more than 1,100 jobs in AI engineering, healthcare, and manufacturing of neuro-devices and AI platforms. Locally, in New Orleans, the $1 billion River District has run into some trouble and delays. In October, it was reported that River District Neighborhood Investors, LLC (RDNI) pulled out of a deal that it allegedly had with the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center hours before the New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority board meeting. The two parties are back at the table trying to resolve disputed lease obligations, payment and performance delays, and control over various parcels of riverfront land owned by the Convention Center. In 2021, RDNI was chosen as the developer, and the plans called for a 142,000-square-foot Class A office building anchored by Shell`s Gulf of Mexico operations and its 800 employees; a 67,000-square-foot sports and entertainment venue on Tchoupitoulas St.; along with entertainment, green-spaces, hotels, restaurants, retail, offices and mixed-income apartments. The 40-acre, mixed-use, riverfront development was expected to generate $43 million of net new annual tax revenues, 9,000 construction jobs and 6,000 projected permanent jobs. However, Topgolf pulled out, and the Shell office building is the lone project to break ground, expected to be completed in 2027. RDNI did complete $30 million of infrastructure work within the development. The Exhibition Hall Authority approved a development and ground-lease agreement with Omni Hotels Resorts to build a 1,000-room, $590 million hotel next to the New Orleans Convention Center. The planned hotel will include approximately 1,000 rooms, about 100,000 square feet of meeting space, restaurants and bars, a rooftop pool deck, a destination spa and a parking garage. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with the hotel opening in 2029. The project is expected to generate about 1,400 permanent jobs, produce around $214 million annually in economic impact and add roughly $15 million in annual tax revenue for state and city. Since 2018, the New Orleans Convention Center has invested $557 million in a Capital Improvements Plan. Approximately $270 million has been spent thus far on modern designs, technical upgrades and sustainable improvements, including an energy-efficient roofing system; renovations and technology upgrades of lobbies, exhibition halls, public spaces, corridors and meeting rooms; increased dining experiences; a transportation hub; and a pedestrian park. Further renovations will take place in the meeting rooms, lobbies, pre-function spaces and main-entry points. The Convention Center is the sixth largest in the U.S. with 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space. It has produced $90.1 billion in economic impact since opening in 1985. Here are other notable construction and economic development projects taking place across the Greater New Orleans area: The 227-acre, former Six Flags/Jazzland site for a $400 million redevelopment. Led by a Bayou Phoenix LLC, the conceptual masterplan for the abandoned New Orleans East site includes a state-of-the-art sports complex, movie and production studios, two hotels, an indoor water park and a beach lagoon. The amusement park structures were demolished in 2025, preparing the land for phased construction. The developers aim to complete the studios by mid-2026, followed by the sports complex, water park and hotels by early 2027, promising significant commerce, jobs and a regional destination for the city. Ochsner Health is building a $100-million-plus Gayle and Tom Benson Ochsner Children’s Hospital, a 343,000 square foot facility that will house pediatric care all under one roof. The hospital will feature a dedicated children’s-only emergency department with 26 pediatric exam rooms (up from 8); a Level IV surgical neonatal ICU; a pediatric critical care unit with 40 ICU rooms, nine step-down beds, and two cardiac catheterization lab suites; 52 medical/surgical beds (up from 48); state of the art technology and equipment; child-friendly treatment rooms; dedicated play spaces and waiting areas; and a six-story, 1,100 car parking garage. The Gayle and Tom Benson Ochsner Children’s Hospital is slated to open in late 2027. Loyola University New Orleans opened a new, $75 million residence hall, in time for the Fall 2025 semester. Uptown Hall, at the former site of Mercy Hall, houses more than 600 returning and graduate students. In addition to the 140 units and 600 beds, the seven-story, 210,000 square foot residence hall features a 3,000 square foot community center, a 2,000 square foot entrance lobby and 1,000 square feet of pre-function space. There is also a central courtyard, study lounges on each floor and a first-floor laundry room. Ochsner is constructing a 132,000-square-foot, $72 million Debra H. and Robert J. Patrick Neuroscience Center, slated to open in 2026 on Jefferson Highway near Ochsner Medical Center’s north side of the main campus. It will be a comprehensive neurological-care destination for patients. The project incorporates a new parking garage, boulevard extension and demolition of an existing warehouse. The new center will also integrate Ochsner’s behavioral health services. The center will establish the first and only multi-specialty early onset dementia clinic, expand patient education and caregiver support and include a state-of-the art neurological rehabilitation center with an integrative therapies program for brain health. North Oaks Health System opened a $50 million clinic in Hammond. The five-story facility consolidates nine specialty clinics and 20 providers, along with related outpatient services, aiming to improve care coordination, enhance patient experience and accommodate future growth. Ochsner Health will build a $45.6 million medical complex in Jefferson Parish aimed at expanding comprehensive health care and sports medicine services. The project is in partnership with the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans. The Ochsner Medical Complex – Airline will be located at the corner of Airline Drive and Tom Benson Way. The two-story facility will span more than 46,000 square feet, featuring orthopedics and sports medicine care for professional and amateur athletes, along with pediatrics, women’s services, physical therapy, imaging and lab services. Future expansion will include outpatient surgical capabilities and additional clinical services. The complex will open in late 2027. The City of New Orleans broke ground on a $32.4 million redevelopment of the St. Bernard Neighborhood Campus and Willie Hall Playground. Located on the McDonogh 35 College Preparatory High School campus, Phase I includes construction of an underground detention system capable of storing up to 5 million gallons of water. The system will be built beneath new athletic fields to help reduce flooding and improve drainage in the surrounding area. The project also marks a return for the Willie Hall Playground, a historic hub for youth sports and mentorship before Hurricane Katrina. RNGD opened a 14-acre, $25 million headquarters in Jefferson Parish, integrating the company’s construction and manufacturing operations, training center and corporate headquarters. Located at 1450 LA Rd. in Metairie, the campus includes 150,000 square feet of buildings and will serve as the home base for RNGD’s 265 New-Orleans-based employees. The company’s former headquarters was located on Tchoupitoulas St. RNGD’s last reported annual revenue of $264 million positions the company at No. 383 among Engineering News Record‘s Top 400 Nationwide Contractors. A $19 million Hollygrove residential development broke ground in April. Grove Place II will add 36 affordable homes in Hollygrove. Completion is expected in 2026. A $16 million residential development broke ground in Algiers. The Riverside Lofts at Federal City will bring 60 new market-rate apartments to the historic Federal City site. Construction began in October and is expected to last 18 months. Developers said the project builds on the success of Riverside Retreat, a 70-unit senior living complex completed earlier as part of the broader Federal City revitalization. Boh Bros. Construction reconstructed the historic Chalmette Wharfs A and F at the Port of St. Bernard’s Arabi Terminal, completing a significant repair project necessitated by decay and damage from Hurricane Katrina. The $13 million federally funded project fully rebuilt the aging wharfs at the Chalmette Slip, which is the lone deep-draft calm water slip on the lower Mississippi River. The National World War II Museum broke ground on the Floyd Education and Collections Pavilion – a two-story educational workspace facility to design and create new exhibits, host educational events and store artifacts. The pavilion was made possible through a $7.5 million gift from longtime Museum supporters Timber and Peggy Floyd. Parker Host acquired Impala Terminals Burnside, a bulk facility on the Lower Mississippi River. HOST is investing $6 million to upgrade equipment and expand operations at the Burnside facility, which handles commodities such as coal, petroleum coke, bauxite and alumina. The 230-acre site in Ascension Parish marks HOST’s third privately owned terminal in the state. ChillCo Inc announced a $4.37 million expansion of its St. Tammany headquarters, marking a key step in the company’s $8 million statewide growth initiative. A Lacombe-based provider of commercial and industrial cooling solutions, ChillCo will add manufacturing and warehouse space to support equipment rental and maintenance operations. The project is expected to create 38 direct new jobs with an average salary of $73,170, while retaining 68 existing positions. Glass Half Full has expanded by opening a 10,000-square-foot recycling facility on Paris Road in Chalmette. The Meraux Foundation donated $3.7 million to Glassroots to assist with the project. Glass Half Full is a New Orleans-based glass recycling startup launched in 2020 by Tulane University graduates Franziska Trautmann and Max Steitz. Glass Half Full has recycled over eight million pounds of glass. The company repurposes glass into valuable products, including sand crucial for coastal restoration projects. ORACLE Lighting completed a $3 million expansion of its Metairie showroom – doubling the size to 15,000 square feet. ORACLE Lighting has designed lighting products and technologies for the automotive aftermarket since 1999. Health Care: The Mannings Announce Partnership with Children’s Hospital In February, one of the most revered football family names in New Orleans entered the health care market. Children’s Hospital was renamed Manning Family Children’s LCMC Health, following an announced partnership between the 70-year-old hospital and the Manning family. The Manning Family has called New Orleans home for more than 50 years. Children’s Hospital is Louisiana’s only freestanding, comprehensive children’s hospital with more than 600 pediatric-trained providers and 3,000 employees. In October, Manning Family Children’s opened a ThriveKids Community Clinic inside the New Orleans East Opportunity Center, expanding access to pediatric primary care and mental health services for children and adolescents. By the end of 2025, LCMC Health will complete eight years’ worth of $775 million in expansions, renovations, and upgrades across its eight hospitals in the GNO area. Construction work includes the completion of a $300-million project to expand Children’s Hospital; a $216- million investment in expansions, renovations and upgrades at East Jefferson General Hospital; $130 million of expansions, renovations and upgrades at West Jefferson Medical Center; a $120 million investment on infrastructure improvements; and an $8.2-million expansion of the Touro Ambulatory Surgery Center, set for completion in 2025. Established in 2009, LCMC Health is a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system managing Manning Family Children’s, East Jefferson General Hospital, New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans, West Jefferson Medical Center, Lakeside Hospital and Lakeview Hospital. Several New Orleans hospitals and health systems announced leadership changes in 2025. In April, West Jefferson Medical Center appointed Garett May as President/CEO of the 435-bed full service medical center. May served as COO of Crestwood Medical Center in Huntsville, Ala, and as CEO at Merit Health Natchez. In October, St. Bernard Parish Hospital appointed Kim Ellender as CEO. Ellender succeeds Lani Fast, who led SBPH since 2022 before moving to chief operating officer at Ochsner Children’s. Ellender has more than 20 years of experience in health care management. St. Bernard Parish Hospital is owned by the Hospital Service District of St. Bernard Parish and managed by Ochsner Health. Ochsner operates 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers, serving over 1.6 million patients annually and having more than 40,000 employees. LCMC Health’s UMC New Orleans promoted Tom Patrias from COO to CEO. Patrias succeeds John R. Nickens IV, who spent the last eight years at LCMC Health and accepted the role of CEO at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Patrias has more than two decades of health care leadership experience. University Medical Center is a 446-bed, nonprofit, public, research, and academic hospital located in the Tulane-Gravier neighborhood. Education: New Orleans Public Schools Earn ‘B‘ for First Time Ever NOLA Public Schools earned a “B” letter grade for the first time ever when the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) released its annual School and District Performance Scores for the 2024-2025 school year. Plaquemines and St. Charles each earned A ratings, while Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany Parish public schools earned a B. Louisiana’s statewide performance score for 2025 was 80.9, the highest overall score under the current 150-point system and nearly a full point above last year’s score (80.2). Overall, 21 percent of schools earned a letter grade of A, 31 percent earned a B, 32 percent earned a C, 12 percent earned a D, and 4 percent earned an F. On the federal scoreboard, the state ranked 32nd in 2024 – up from 49th in 2019 – according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. In other education news, the Orleans Parish School Board sold four of its surplus properties to collectively generate close to $3 million in capital. Surplus properties are deemed not needed for educational purposes. The properties included the 87-year-old former L.E. Rabouin Memorial School at 727 Carondelet St.  ($2.1 million) to Thomas R. LeBlanc, Jr., a businessman from New Iberia and a partner within a Louisiana group of commercial real estate developers; McDonogh No. 32 in Algiers at 800 De Armas St., which sold for $400,000 to Fischer Community Church; the former Joseph A. Hardin site and now a vacant lot at 2401 St. Maurice Ave., which sold for $120,000 to Blue Orleans, LLC; and the former Barbara C. Jordan site and now a vacant lot at 4348 Reynes St., which sold for $100,000 to listed buyer Chester Williams. On the college front, the University of New Orleans (UNO) is in the process of transferring back to the LSU System. The official transition date is scheduled for July 1, 2026, at which point UNO will move from the University of Louisiana System to the LSU System and likely be rebranded as LSU New Orleans. This move, approved by the Louisiana Legislature in 2025, is intended to help revitalize the campus, boost enrollment, and align its academic programs with high-demand workforce needs, leveraging the resources of LSU. New Orleans and Louisiana Lose Iconic Business Leaders New Orleans and Louisiana lost several iconic business leaders in 2025, and we remember them for their accomplishments and contributions to the state’s and city’s economy. Bob Merrick: Former Latter Blum executive and prominent real estate businessman Bob Merrick died in April at the age of 80, leaving a legacy of entrepreneurship and philanthropy in New Orleans. Merrick purchased Latter Blum in 1986 and grew the firm from an approximately $350 million annual sales volume into one of the largest brokerage firms in the Gulf South, reporting $3.6 billion in sales when it was sold in 2024. Jay Batt: Lifelong New Orleans resident, business leader, and former city council member Jay Batt passed away in May at the age of 64. Batt spent more than 40 years in financial services, real estate, and retail, notably as a longtime franchisee of Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, and was instrumental in helping Hurricane Katrina’s hardest-hit communities recover during his time on the city council. Joseph C. Canizaro: Real estate developer, businessman, and philanthropist Joseph C. Canizaro passed away in June at the age of 88. His career, dating back to 1966, resulted in the commercial development of more than 10 million square feet of office space, including iconic New Orleans properties like Canal Place, 400 Poydras Tower, and the First Bank Trust Tower. Jim Bernhard: Jim Bernhard, founder of The Shaw Group, died in November at the age of 71. He founded The Shaw Group in 1987 and grew a small construction business into a global Fortune 500 company with more than 30,000 employees and $7 billion in annual revenue. He later co-founded the private equity firm, Bernhard Capital Partners. William Jenkins: William Jenkins, who served as LSU president on two separate occasions, died in November at the age of 88. His tenure, including a crucial transition period in 2012, guided LSU through significant institutional changes and developments. ...read more read less