A world-class workforce training, culinary, and hospitality institute sets down roots in New Orleans, connecting the local community to quality employment opportunities and creating pathways for industry advancement.
PROJECT LOCATION:
New Orleans, Louisiana
THE PROJECT:
The hospitality industry is the largest employer in New Orleans, a city that boasts over 1,400 restaurants alone. NOCHI’s mission is to provide more employment and community engagement opportunities in the industry by way of no- and low-cost workforce training programs, culinary and baking certification programs, no-cost community education programs and revenue-generating food and beverage programs for visitors from around the world.
The project includes the renovation of a historic, five-story building in downtown New Orleans, accessible by public transportation. Upon completion, the project will include two culinary kitchen labs, two baking and pastry labs, a restaurant lab, a wine and spirits lab, a large event center including a banquet kitchen, a café open to the public, as well as traditional classroom and office space. About 21,500 square feet of the building will be subleased to Tulane University, who will operate a business hospitality entrepreneurship program.
COMMUNITY IMPACTS:
- Create 57 full-time construction jobs.
- Create 44 permanent full-time jobs and maintain 9 permanent full-time jobs.
- 100% of construction jobs will pay wages more than the local living wage, and 97% of permanent jobs will pay more than the local wage and provide employer-sponsored benefits.
- The project includes a Workforce Training Program that will train a minimum of 220 individuals annually, 60% of whom are projected to be minorities and 100% to be Low-Income Persons.
- The project includes community-based education programs to approximately 90 individuals annually, 60% of whom are projected to be minorities and 50% to be Low-Income Persons.
- Developed in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America, the project will also include certificate programs in Culinary Arts and Baking Arts to approximately 210 students annually, 25% of whom are projected to be minorities and 25% to be Low-Income Persons.
COMMUNITY PROFILE:
- 29% poverty rate
- Economic Development Zone
FINANCING:
- Total Project Cost: $35 million
- NCF Deployed Allocation: $9 million
- Total NMTC Allocation: $8.82 million
PROJECT PARTNERS:
- United Fund Advisors (National Community Fund I, LLC)
- IBERIA Civic Impact Partners, LLC
- Enhanced Community Development, LLC
- New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute, Inc.
