Local officials and civic leaders say that an economic and social renaissance is underway, thanks to the convergence of a number of factors -- education reform, an influx of young entrepreneurial talent, a motivated labor force, a business-friendly governor and an energetic emphasis on regional cooperation in the wake of Katrina.

Add to that the Feb. 6 election of Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu as mayor, and -- one day later -- the Saints' first Super Bowl win in franchise history, and many believe the stars are aligning for a city that just a few years ago was nearly wiped off the map.

"The Saints truly are a metaphor for what is happening in this region," said Jerry Bologna, director of economic development services for the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, during a recent familiarization tour for site selectors and the media. According to Bologna, 7,000 new businesses have sprouted in Jefferson Parish -- Louisiana's most populous parish -- since Katrina.

Michael Hecht, president and CEO of the nonprofit economic development agency Greater New Orleans (GNO) Inc., describes the timeline of the New Orleans economy as a three-act play, of sorts. In Act 1, the city experienced "decades of slow decline." In Act 2, Hurricane Katrina brought the city to its knees.

Act 3, in the words of Hecht, is the "redemption story."

Michael Hecht, president and CEO, Greater New Orleans (GNO) Inc.

It's a story in progress, to be sure. New Orleans in recent years has been ranked among the most dangerous cities in the nation, and Landrieu has made reducing violent crime -- and finding a new police chief -- a top priority. And even though the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working on a $15 billion upgrade of the region's 220 miles of levees and floodwalls to provide protection against even the most epic storms, economic development officials still field questions from site selectors about flood protection in the wake of Katrina.

Lamented Hecht: "We have a 50% reality problem and a 50% perception problem."

Those perceptions are beginning to change. Southern Business Development magazine named New Orleans the 2009 Major Market of the Year, and Forbes.com in 2009 ranked New Orleans No. 8 on a list of top cities for relocation. Thanks to a concerted effort by GNO Inc. to generate positive press for the region, the agency claims that more than 200 articles in the national and international media in 2009 trumpeted the region's strengths.

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