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New Orleans hosts its eleventh Tremendous Bowl subsequent yr and the preparations contain showcasing the town’s heralded structure, music, meals and celebratory tradition whereas addressing its myriad challenges, together with crime, pockets of homelessness and an antiquated drainage system.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry joined Mayor LaToya Cantrell and a number of different metropolis and state officers on Tuesday at a downtown theater for a information convention to debate the method, kicking off what the Democratic mayor declared “the Summer time of Tremendous Bowl.” Landry, a Republican elected final yr with a powerful anti-crime message, vowed that the town will likely be one of many nation’s most secure by recreation day.

Street and drainage enhancements and the usage of state police to assist the New Orleans Police Division fight crime are among the many efforts.

As for infrastructure, Michael Hecht, the president of a neighborhood financial growth nonprofit, was just lately tapped to coordinate the preparations. He listed scores of tasks deliberate or below approach, together with avenue and sidewalk repairs, lighting enhancements and repairs to the growing older system of stormwater avenue drains and pumps which can be below fixed pressure to stop flash floods.

He additionally famous efforts by the town and native advocates to shut down and clear up homeless encampments and supply safter housing for these in want.

Solely Miami has hosted extra Tremendous Bowls than New Orleans — the 2 cities will likely be tied at 11 every as soon as the 59th recreation is performed in February. But it surely’s been nearly 12 years since New Orleans hosted and native officers are keen to point out the town off once more.

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser famous worldwide media would fill a lot of the town’s big conference middle on the Mississippi River within the week earlier than the sport. “We need to be sure we pump a few of that nice Louisiana meals into the conference middle and deal with them like nowhere else,” he mentioned.

Landry and members of his cupboard highlighted the chance the sport will give the state to point out off its important position as a Mississippi River port and to spice up financial growth efforts.

There was additionally a chance to handle a second that marred the massive recreation the final time it was hosted within the Superdome.

Lower than two minutes into the third quarter of the 2013 Tremendous Bowl, a partial blackout inside the dome delayed the sport between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers for 34 minutes.

Marcus Brown, an govt vice chairman at Entergy, the corporate that provides energy to the dome, delivered assurances that that gained’t occur once more.

“We’ve had a number of important occasions within the dome to show and set up that we have now the tools and the redundancies in place to ensure the dome places this recreation on with no hitch,” Brown mentioned.