The William J. Fischer Housing Development, better known as the Fischer Projects, is a public housing development in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. It was the last conventional public housing development constructed in New Orleans and originally consisted of a 13-floor high-rise and fourteen 3-floor units.[1] The area has been undergoing redevelopment since about 2004 and currently only 3 of the original low-rise buildings remain; however demolition of these began in January 2008.[2] The development is located along Whitney Avenue in the Algiers area of the city's west bank, which is part of the 15th Ward and is named for William J. Fischer who served as chairman of HANO in the 1950s.
The Fischer Projects opened in 1965 on 48 acres of land adjacent to the Mississippi River Bridge and it approach roads. The development was isolated from other West Bank communities by the bridge, the Donner Canal and a Southern Pacific Railroad line. The 13 low-rise buildings were built in long parallel lines and positioned using the scattered site method resulting in large park areas covering approximately 60% of the 48 acre site.[3] A 13-story high-rise building was constructed in 1966 and served as housing for the elderly.[4] Upon completion of the high-rise, the development had a total of 1002 units. The development also included Murray Henderson Elementary School, constructed in 1965 and William J. Fischer Elementary School which opened in 1967. Over the years, the development became rundown and saw a rise in violent crime similar to other public housing developments in New Orleans and around the country.
Redevelopment
Starting in the early 2000s, HANO began planning a redevelopment of the complex. These plans included expanding the site to 73 acres by acquiring adjacent properties, phased demolition of the high-rise and low-rise housing units, and construction of at least 640 new housings units. Additionally, the plans included a new community for elderly residents, a community center and playgrounds.[5]
The Fischer high-rise was imploded on January 252004, drawing large crowds as New Orleans' first demolition by implosion.[6] In early 2004, the 13-floor highrise portion of the development was demolished as part of a revitalization program. Replacing the highrise were numerous mixed-income houses.
Demolition of the last three low-rise buildings began in January 2008 as part of a $1.2 million project to remove the vacant buildings and construct the infrastructure necessary for redeveloping the area. Plans for this stage of redevelopment call for construction of approximately 70 homes and 26 rental units, most of which are intended for public housing and Section 8 residents.[2]
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