Naval Station New Orleans

Naval Station New Orleans
Name	Naval Station New Orleans
Location	Algiers Point, New Orleans, Louisiana
Coordinates	29.9456°N 90.0806°W
Type	Naval base
Built	1940s
Used	1940s–2011
Ownership	United States Department of the Navy
Controlledby	United States Navy

Naval Station New Orleans was a major United States Navy installation located on the west bank of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana. The station supported fleet logistics, port operations, and tenant commands from World War II through the post-Cold War era, interacting with regional agencies such as the Port of New Orleans and federal organizations including the Department of Defense, United States Coast Guard, and Federal Emergency Management Agency. It was decommissioned during the 2005 BRAC process and transitioned into civilian redevelopment projects involving local authorities like the City of New Orleans and private developers.

History

The installation's origins trace to wartime expansions during World War II when the United States Navy sought riverine and Gulf access for logistics; early development paralleled construction at ports such as Naval Air Station New Orleans and New Orleans Army Air Base. During the Cold War, the base hosted units associated with Atlantic Fleet logistics alongside support activities linked to Naval Support Activity concepts and Cold War-era commands like Commander, Naval Forces Central Command predecessors. The station played roles in major mobilizations, supporting deployments associated with the Gulf War, the Global War on Terrorism, and contingency operations coordinated with United States Southern Command elements. Post-Hurricane Katrina recovery operations involved coordination with United States Northern Command assets and relief organizations including American Red Cross and United Way partner agencies, influencing the subsequent 2005 BRAC closure decision.

Facilities and Layout

The complex included deep-water berthing along the Mississippi River, cargo piers, warehousing, fuel storage, maintenance shops, and administrative buildings adjacent to neighborhoods such as Algiers, West Bank, and riverine infrastructure tied to the Industrial Canal and Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock. Pier facilities accommodated auxiliary ships, roll-on/roll-off operations linked to sealift missions resembling those at Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Base San Diego, and staging areas used by reserve components like the United States Navy Reserve and United States Marine Corps Reserve. Support structures encompassed family housing proximate to Broadmoor, New Orleans and on-base recreational amenities comparable to Morale, Welfare and Recreation installations, while utility corridors interfaced with regional systems managed by entities such as the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority.

Units and Tenants

Tenant commands and organizations included Logistics Support Units, elements of the Military Sealift Command, reserve and active-duty detachments, and federal partners like the United States Customs and Border Protection and United States Fish and Wildlife Service for estuarine coordination. Training and administrative units mirrored structures found at Naval Air Station Pensacola and hosted liaison offices for commands including Naval Surface Forces Atlantic and Fleet Forces Command. Coast Guard units and Marine Corps expeditionary logistics detachments maintained presence for regional operations tied to Fourth Fleet activities, while contracting offices worked with Defense Logistics Agency and civilian shipyards like Avondale Shipyards and facilities associated with Ingalls Shipbuilding through procurement and maintenance linkages.

Operations and Missions

Primary missions comprised port operations, logistics staging, embarkation and debarkation for sealift missions, ordnance handling, and support to deployed forces during crises such as Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm and deployments tied to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The station supported humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations coordinated with United States Agency for International Development and multinational partners including Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency during regional responses. Interoperability missions involved coordination with Amphibious Ready Group movements, Military Sealift Command prepositioning, and joint training with United States Army Corps of Engineers during infrastructure recovery and engineer support operations.

Environmental and Community Impact

Environmental stewardship efforts addressed contamination remediation under programs similar to Base Realignment and Closure environmental restoration processes, with oversight from agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Community engagement involved economic ties to the Port of New Orleans workforce, regional unions like the International Longshoremen's Association, and workforce transition programs coordinated with the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Post-Katrina environmental concerns included wetland restoration projects linked to Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority initiatives and collaboration with academic institutions such as Tulane University and Louisiana State University for studies on estuarine impacts and pollution abatement.

Closure and Redevelopment

Following the 2005 BRAC recommendations, the station was slated for closure and the property transferred through processes involving the General Services Administration and local redevelopment authorities. Adaptive reuse proposals involved mixed-use development, maritime commerce facilities tied to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center expansion discussions, and green infrastructure projects in partnership with entities like the Urban Land Institute and local nonprofits including Greater New Orleans Foundation. Redevelopment efforts emphasized integrating historic preservation interests represented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and economic revitalization strategies coordinated with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority and the Louisiana Economic Development agency.

Category:Closed installations of the United States Navy Category:Military installations in Louisiana