NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — After a decades-long battle, Gordon Plaza residents of New Orleans are waiting to take the next step closer to a new life.
Nearly 70 residents flooded city hall on Tuesday afternoon, expecting a promised buyout letter that would help residents relocate from the landfill. When 3 p.m., the time residents were invited to receive their letters, rolled around, tensions were high when most of those letters weren’t handed out.
Why? The envelopes containing the letters were not ready.
Fed up with the city and feeling they are being pulled in every direction, residents say this process has been nothing short of traumatic and are begging city officials to stand up for what is right.
As many locals will know, Gordon Plaza was built in the 1980s on top of a toxic landfill. For decades, residents have suffered illnesses because of it.
Now, Gordon Plaza locals just want out, but some feel like this chapter of their lives just won’t come to an end. The theme in the room at city hall seemed to be “How long are we supposed to wait?”
These residents say they aren’t leaving city hall without their letter.
“It’s very frustrating, it’s emotionally stressful when the city keeps playing this game with us and keeps tormenting us when all of this should be over,” Marilyn Samar tells WGNO. “We were here in the chambers [Monday] for the task force meeting and we were told that we would get our offer letters today at 3 p.m. We are here today and we only have a few offer letters for a few residents.”
Once these residents do receive their letter, they will be met with the next big decision: do they accept the city’s offer?
