On April 3, the joint Governmental Affairs Economic Development Committee of the New Orleans City Council met and discussed a resolution “Prioritizing transparency, public engagement, and an effort that restores Lincoln Beach in a manner driven by community-based decision-making.” Lincoln Beach is an historic beach on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans East that was a recreation space for Black New Orleanians in the Jim Crow era, when Pontchartrain Beach was segregated. The beach—which once included pavilions, a bathhouse, pedestrian tunnels under the railroad tracks, and three swimming pools—was closed in 1964, and the landscape is now wooded, the beach accessible mostly by climbing over the levee and crumbling slabs of concrete. In 2020, Tricia “Blyss” Wallace, Reggie Ford, and Sage Michael Pellet founded a nonprofit called New Orleans for Lincoln Beach, spearheading cleanups and advocating for the beach to be officially reopened and funded as a public park. As of 2025, the City has spent $1.4 million as part of a contract with Digital Engineering & Imaging, Inc. (DEI) to design amenities for the beach (such as a permeable parking lot, pedestrian crossing, and tie-in to the sewerage system). DEI recently requested over $700,000 in additional funding for their work on the project. However, residents are justifiably frustrated over that old standard: repeated delays to the project, coupled with exorbitant sums handed to a contractor with little tangible results. At the meeting, Councilmember Helena Moreno said the Mayor’s office had told her office they would no longer attend Economic Development Committee meetings concerning Lincoln Beach (such as this April 3 meeting). Advocates meanwhile are frustrated that the timeline to reopen the beach is subject to delay: Originally slated for 2025, the reopen date has been moved to 2026 or 2027, tentatively. The following is an excerpt of public comments submitted online to the Committee, minimally edited for clarity and length.
Use current funds to complete the tunnel, parking, safety and security, and restrooms. Open the Beach.1Desha G.
Everyone needs to be informed of decisions made related to Lincoln Beach. Please continue to ensure that this process will be transparent. It’s extremely difficult to follow along in this process because of so many moving parts. Ensure the website and all social media platforms stay updated. Also, now that the city is in current ownership of Lincoln Beach Blvd., when should we expect revitalization of the entirety of Lincoln Beach Blvd.?2Ryan and Candace T.
Why wasn’t a quorum met on yesterday’s meeting[?] Councilmembers JP Morrell and Helena Moreno, your roles as president and vice president was needed to address the concerns that the community had. Councilperson Thomas should not be the Lone Ranger, this is a collective effort we ALL are paying close attention [to] the success of this project. I understand an opening is scheduled for October 2025 but we want it to open in time for Labor Day 2025 weekend. That would be spectacular!3Melanie T.
Thank you for this space to comment. I am a strong proponent of absolute transparency and community engagement for this project. The residents and grassroots organizations in New Orleans East have pushed and supported this project for years now. Our organizations have made space multiple times on their agenda for agents of the project to share vital updates with the community, which the community appreciates. We have come together as ONE on this project, disseminating information, attending both virtual and in-person meetings underscoring the absolute necessity of transparency and engagement. This project is for us, and this must be by us, the residents of NOE [New Orleans East]. Enough thanks cannot be given to Sage, Bliss, Reggie, Councilman Thomas, and many others who have gotten this project to this point. Let’s all work together to get it over the finish line for the living elders who will truly appreciate—as few others can—the incredible significance of Lincoln Beach past and a beautifully renovated Lincoln Beach of the present. TOGETHER FORWARD!4Commelita M.
Thank you for recognizing Sage and the unprecedented Lincoln Beach grassroots volunteers. I encourage the Council to demand greater transparency in Lincoln Beach and all City Hall capital projects. I urge the Council to include a line item in both the Digital and Sasaki agreements [Digital Engineering and Imaging, and Sasaki are both companies contracted by the City for work on the beach] requiring public updates that align with each internal project status update. Please refrain from approving any further Lincoln Beach agreements without incorporating a mechanism for public project status updates. Ensuring transparency in each Lincoln Beach agreement is essential to regaining the community’s trust.5Gerald L.
To follow up on these issues, you can email your City councilmembers. To submit a public comment, follow instructions at council.nola.gov. Interested in reading all comments after a meeting? You can email your councilmember or file a public records request.
illustration by Sadie Wiese
