KEY TAKEAWAYS: The Downtown Development District will host “The Future of Downtown New Orleans” on Oct. 15 at the Board of Trade. The event will feature Brookings Institution researcher Tracy Loh as keynote speaker. Panels will examine Downtown investments, residential growth, local busine sses and public-private partnerships. The DDD will unveil a new brand as the organization highlights Downtown’s next phase of development.   The Downtown Development District will bring national experts and New Orleans business and civic leaders together Oct. 15 for a discussion about the future of Downtown New Orleans as the district enters a period of major investment. The event, called “The Future of Downtown New Orleans,” will run from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Board of Trade. It also will mark the unveiling of a new brand for the Downtown Development District, signaling a new phase for the organization and its efforts to support Downtown’s economic development. The event will examine how downtowns around the country are changing from traditional employment centers into places where people live, work, learn, visit and build businesses. Organizers say the discussion will focus on how New Orleans can apply those trends to its own growth. Tracy Loh, a nationally recognized downtown development researcher with the Brookings Institution, will deliver the keynote address. Loh’s research on the future of American downtowns has informed urban development efforts around the country, according to the DDD. Two panels will follow the keynote. The first, “Investing in Downtown’s Next Chapter,” will examine major projects and investments currently underway. DDD Commissioner Sevetri Wilson Taylor will moderate a panel featuring Jasmine Brown DeRousselle of GNO Inc., Sayde Finkel of the city’s Canal Street Renaissance Initiative, Casey Candebat of the Tulane Innovation Institute and Alice Glenn of New Orleans Co. The second panel, “Building Downtown’s Future,” will focus on how the city can use the current investment activity to support long-term growth. Loh will moderate a discussion with Tom Leonhard of HRI, Jon Atkinson of The Idea Village, DDD Commissioner Michael DiSimone of The Link Restaurant Group and Sharonda Williams of Entergy. Topics will include residential development, support for local businesses, public investment and partnerships needed to shape Downtown over the next decade. “Downtown is on the cusp of a remarkable level of new investment across multiple catalytic projects, creating an opportunity to think bigger about the neighborhood’s next phase of growth,” said Seth Knudsen, president and CEO of the Downtown Development District. “The Future of Downtown will bring national perspective and local expertise to the conversation, highlighting the projects in development today and the opportunities we have to leverage and build on that progress.” The event will begin with networking and welcome remarks before the keynote and panel discussions. A reception will follow the DDD’s new-brand launch. Tickets are on sale, with early-bird pricing available through Sept. 15. The district also is offering sponsorship opportunities for organizations seeking to support the event. The Downtown Development District was created by the Louisiana Legislature in 1974 and describes itself as the nation’s first assessment-based Business Improvement District. Its services include economic development initiatives, grants, public safety programs, sanitation services and funding for homeless outreach and additional security in Downtown New Orleans. The DDD’s district encompasses the area between Iberville Street, the Pontchartrain Expressway, Claiborne Avenue and the Mississippi River. For more information about the Downtown Development District and the Oct. 15 event, visit DDD’s website. ...read more read less