GNO, Inc. Sunday Night Highlight – LA & GNO, Inc. Get Sites Ready, Ready!
Over the past month, GNO, Inc., Louisiana Economic Development, and local partners hosted three events across the region celebrating a combined $13.2 million in state investment through Louisiana’sFastSites program, funding that is turning potential into development in Washington, St. Charles, and St. Tammany parishes.
“Site readiness” is one of the deciding factors in whether a parish wins or loses a major project. Specifically, companies will rule out locations where roads, utilities, or rail access aren’t already in place. FastSites was created to ensure our locations are “shovel ready” when a company or consultant comes calling.
Launched in October 2025 with $150 million through the GNO, Inc. supported Site Investment and Infrastructure Improvement Fund, FastSites gives the state a revolving pool of capital to prepare land for industrial and commercial use. In March, LED selected 19 sites across 16 parishes for the program’s first round. The Legislature has since added another $50 million, bringing the fund to $200 million, and the next application window opens in October.
In Greater New Orleans, the sites are:
- Franklinton Industrial Park (Washington Parish) – A $1.2 million investment is funding roadway and water and sewer improvements, priming 75 acres for new industrial development alongside existing tenants like Acme Machine & Welding and Grand Isle Shipyard
- Esperanza Business Park (St. Charles Parish) – A $10 millioninvestment will extend Judge Edward Dufresne Parkway more than two miles to LA 3127, opening road access to over 1,000 acres of land near the Hale Boggs Bridge with connections to I-310, the Mississippi River, Union Pacific rail, and Louis Armstrong Airport
- Gulf South Commerce Park (St. Tammany Parish) – A $2 million investment is funding land acquisition and wetlands mitigation to grow the park from 92 to nearly 400 acres along Interstate 12 in Mandeville, where Crosby Development Company and Blue Steel Development are already building the 200,555-square-foot Steel 12 distribution facility
You can read about the full 19-site FastSites selection here.
You can learn more about the FastSites program here.
You can read about the Esperanza Business Park investment here.