Film Studio Under Fire — Not!

I just submitted this letter to the editor of City Business:

It was with some chagrin that I read the recent article headlined “Film studio under fire.” The tone of the article and the headline in particular suggest an opposition between neighborhood organizations and the Louisiana Institute of Film Technology that I have not found to be the case. In fact, LIFT has been working with members of the Mid-City Neighborhood Organization and the Fauborg St. John Neighborhood Association on plans to build a three-mile bike path/linear park connecting Armstrong Park to City Park.

The question that neighbors have been asking about the sale of public land is why our public servants did not do a better job communicating to neighborhood groups. A more accurate headline might have been “City Council under fire.” We know the sale to have been both legal and proper, but it is the duty of Council members to apprise their constituents of significant developments in their neighborhoods.

This should not obscure the fact that the film studio will be a major boon to the area and indeed the entire region. It will be one of the largest such studios in the country and will provide jobs — and job training — for many locals. It’s worth noting that LIFT is local too, a homegrown production company, not an out-of-state entity. Here at last is a diversification of the local economy beyond the tourism industry. New Orleans needs this project!