Cantrell establishes a new Nighttime Economy office to support New Orleans entertainment venues

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) — New Orleans makes big bucks at night. In fact, according to the city, more than one-fifth of economic activity occurs after the end of the typical workday.

Therefore, the office for night economy was created.

“Culture is the economy of the city of New Orleans, but more importantly (of) the state of Louisiana,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a news conference Monday.

Cantrell appointed Howie Kaplan as director of the new city office. Kaplan is the longtime owner of The Howlin’ Wolf concert hall, leads the Rebirth Brass Band and has been a strong advocate for musicians and venues, particularly during the pandemic.

“The question is, ‘How are we going to get into this world-class city that we know we are?'” Kaplan said. “This is how we invest in our future, invest in the cultural industry as a whole and in our culture carriers.”

Kaplan’s background gave cause for optimism for some who might otherwise be suspicious of a new city agency meddling in nightlife issues.

“Knowing it’s Howie gives me a lot of relief and a lot of hope,” said Tyler Daly, owner of the Royal Frenchmen Hotel. “It’s good that there’s some clarifying power as far as the Night Economy is concerned.”

Daly’s venue has had issues with live music permits after being the subject of noise complaints from neighbors. He hopes this new office can help.

He also wants help for the city’s street performers when it comes to venue disputes.

“New Orleans is a really community-centric city, and maybe we’ve lost a bit of that over the years,” Daly said. “Here you see these exaggerated differences between buskers, venues, artists and local residents.”

The mayor’s office said the new department’s role is not one of enforcement.

“We’re looking at new ways to deal with this, period,” Kaplan said. “I think it’s about mediation. It’s about solving the problems before they become a problem at 3am.”

It’s an advocacy role, Kaplan said, that provides a direct link to learn about the needs of businesses and artists and communicate them to the city to influence enforcement.

“I don’t think there will be an overarching theme,” Kaplan said. “I think it’s more about the quality of life and what we can do to improve it.”

Other major cities across the country have similar positions. Philadelphia and Atlanta announced theirs this year. In New Orleans, the office was built up for years. The mayor and city council approved a $500,000 budget last year.

The state ethics committee is considering Kaplan’s appointment because of his ownership of a venue. Kaplan said he would withdraw if necessary.

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