U.S. Rep. Troy A. Carter, Sr., on Wednesday (Sept. 7) presented a check for $3 million to the 9th Ward Stadium Project, a non-profit committed to bringing a publicly-accessible athletic stadium into the heart of this community.
Currently, students from the Ninth Ward travel across the city to play sports on other fields. This investment will help create a high-quality, publicly accessible facility for the community to enjoy.
“I am proud to have secured $3 million in federal funds to help build a state-of-the art stadium to the 9th Ward,” said Rep. Carter. “This will be more than just a stadium for the community to share with the students and public of New Orleans. This is a chance to level the playing field for the 9th Ward, create opportunities for the neighborhood to recreate, build community pride, and ultimately to boost homeownership and energize the surrounding economy. This stadium will be a long-awaited win for this community, and I’m grateful to have played a part in bringing it to fruition.”
An estimated $9 million project, Congressman Carter was able to secure $3 million in federal funds as a Community Funding Project as a part of the 2022 congressional appropriations bill. That combined with a $3.8 million allocation by the Louisiana Legislature this session brings the project to just $2.2 million away from its goal. The organization behind this stadium effort, the 9th Ward Stadium Project, is currently seeking private donations to close the final fundraising gap and hopes to break ground in 2022.