New Orleans, Louisiana – Residents and city officials of Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans celebrated the opening of a CVS Pharmacy in the town. This has been the first major retailer to open in the location after hurricane Katrina 10 years ago.

Lower 9th Ward is a neighborhood located in New Orleans Louisiana, it is part of the nine wards in New Orleans.  This area was devastated after Hurricane Katrina happend in 2005, streets, houses and local services vanished from the neighborhood after the tragic hurricane.

Residents of the neighborhood assure the recovery of their community has taken a slow pace and services are not as available as there used to be before the hurricane. Image Credit: Canal Street Beat
Residents of the neighborhood assure the recovery of their community has taken a slow pace and services are not as available as there used to be before the hurricane. Image Credit: Canal Street Beat

The retailer store is 13,000 square feet and is located at the North Claiborne Avenue and Forstall Street, the opening of the major store will bring 20 part and full time jobs to the Lower 9th ward community.

The new CVS Pharmacy will help Re-building the community

Mayor Landrieu celebrated along with citizens by cutting a ribbon to open the new store that will feature drive thru pharmacy window service, high quality health, care and beauty products between different options for the community.

It has been a long recovery for the neighborhood and according to Landrieu statements his administration has spent around $500 million in different recovery projects for the community that include roads, police, community centers and infrastructure.

“Today’s celebration marks another milestone in the renewal and development of the historic Lower Ninth Ward. This new CVS Pharmacy marks the first national retailer to come to the Lower Ninth Ward since Hurricane Katrina and brings important services and resources,” said Mayor Landrieu on the opening of the store.

There are abandoned lots in every corner of  the 9th Ward with overgrown grass, in places where there used to be homes and services. After the hurricane dozens of families died and thousands of homes were flooded with water up to the rooftops.

A 76-year old women from the neighborhood stated her feelings about the reconstruction of the community

“When I moved down here in 1947, it0s just about like it is now. Back in 1947, the area was sparsely populated and more like a village on the edge, you had to walk through the tall grasses to get to the store, just like now,” said Mary Jones to the Miami Herald.

Yet crimes and shootings that happened commonly before Katrina, have disappeared from the community.  Currently, citizens have a multi-purpose homespun grocery store, a barber shop, several lunch restaurants, hot food takeout, a dollar store and several other small business.

A CVS spokesman stated how proud the major chain is to contribute to the community. Just as they did when Katrina happened, donating millions in resources. The community hopes that with the opening of the pharmacy, more major retailers will invest in the Lower Ninth Ward.

Source: PR News