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Home > Issue by Date > January 2008

Swift Recovery

Planned upgrades were put on the fast track after thousands took shelter at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

By Anne Vazquez

Managing a building that throngs of people visit on a regular basis is a challenge for any facility professional. Safety, security, and maintenance issues all share a front seat in the successful operation of such a venue.

Since 1985, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (renamed as such in 1992 for the late New Orleans mayor who championed its construction) has served as the location for a wide variety of events put on by an even wider variety of organizations. Industry trade shows, association conferences, consumer events, sports competitions, and community gatherings have attracted thousands of people to the convention center each year for the past 22 years.

But in August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina descended upon the Gulf Coast region, this flurry of activity was forced to a screeching halt—at least for the next five and half months. Though the convention center was not designated as an official shelter, some of the people displaced by the storm and the subsequent flooding from levee failure (which occurred on Monday, August 29, 2005) sought shelter at the facility.

It is estimated that between 20,000 to 25,000 people occupied the convention center during the week following the storm. A lack of food, water, electricity, and security contributed to a chaotic scenario at times as those thousands of people co-existed while waiting for authorities to rescue them from the city.

“We were not designated to be a shelter of any sort, so when people starting arriving, we were ill prepared,” says Jerry Frances, assistant general manager at the convention center. “We had no power. We had no food. We had no water. We just didn’t expect it. We were desperate to try and help, but we had no resources.”

Storm Preparations

The convention center was spared the flooding that plagued other areas of the city, because it is

sited on the some of the highest ground in New Orleans. Additionally, the staff took care to mitigate damage from the storm before it arrived.

“We have a storm preparation plan that is put into effect whenever we have a threat,” says Frances, who was director of operations at the time. “The standard procedure was to store inside anything from outside that could possibly get blown around and cause damage. The staff also made sure the roof was clear. Preparations also involved topping off the fuel tanks in our generators and fire pumps.

“We also do internal checks to make sure all of our safety systems are intact. We basically go down a checklist in order to prevent whatever we can,” says Frances.

While the preparations helped to keep most threats at bay, there were some areas of the convention center that sustained damage from the elements. “We had some broken canopy glass and storefront windows,” explains Frances. “There was also some roof damage, mostly caused by flying debris. And some intakes on the roof were blown off, which allowed some rainwater to get inside an area of the facility.

“We assessed the situation on that Monday night and thought that we had come out pretty well. The direct storm damage was actually fairly minimal,” says Frances. “The majority of the damage came from the people who were seeking shelter and rescue [after areas of the city were flooded].”

Under the direction of the convention center’s previous president, Jimmie D. Fore, Frances worked alongside convention center staff members to maintain control of the facility as the power went out and members of the public streamed in.

Explaining that there was a minimal number of security staff on site at the time, Frances recalls, “The people basically came in and made themselves at home. There was no way to police it.” He eventually departed on Wednesday evening—two days after the city had been inundated with flooding—and returned the following week.

Navigating A Recovery

The National Guard arrived at the convention center on Thursday. Several thousand troops, along with other law enforcement personnel, helped to restore some order to the facility. However, they were occupying the convention center as a home base for citywide operations rather than actively patrolling the facility itself.

Still, the military presence helped the situation to an extent. “They were housed in the exhibit hall and in the back of the building,” explains Frances. “They also manned a security gate we have in the back.”

Also arriving on Thursday was a much awaited caravan of busses to transport people away. It is estimated that about 15,000 people left during that time, with the remainder departing two days later on Saturday, September 3.

When Frances returned to the convention center the next week, he recalls an overwhelming sight: “When we saw the amount of debris, the first thought was ‘Wow.’ It is overwhelming when you have a building of this size, and all the public areas have some sort of debris.”

The exterior was littered with chairs taken from inside the building as well as from nearby hotels. Food wrappers, bottles, and a plethora of other items used by the thousands of people who were waiting for assistance were strewn all around.

The inside of the convention center contained a similarly overwhelming scene. Massive amounts of debris had been discarded all around the facility. And the flooring and carpeting were virtually ruined. Additionally, much of the furniture had undergone heavy use by those who took refuge in the building.

In tackling the actual clean up, Frances quips, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” So after ensuring the building was secure, Frances began the task of working with the convention authority’s insurance company to assess the damage and create a recovery game plan.

“Our insurance company, Zurich, was wonderful,” says Frances. “They brought in a third party company, U.S. Risk Management, which came and took air samples. They also did surface testing for various amounts of mold, mildew, and bacteria. They tested every square foot of this building to make sure it was safe.”

The rainwater that had made its way into the facility did cause some mold growth, since the moisture was sitting for close to a week without any air conditioning or ventilation in operation. “Surprisingly enough though,” says Frances, “we had very little problems with the air quality testing that was done. And there were very few areas that needed to be scrubbed.

While the air sample and surface tests were being done, others set to work taking up all the carpets and cleaning all the walls and slabs in the facility. It was also determined that all kitchens and restrooms would be cleaned to hospital grade level.

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Frances and his staff worked diligently to begin the recovery process once back on site and recalls the central challenge being a “matter of having all those people in there and trying to get things done without people stepping on each other. We had to make sure the contractors stayed out of the areas where the military was, because someone was always sleeping in one of the halls. We tried to be as accommodating as we could, because we were so grateful that they came to help.”

The Silver Lining

If there was any positive side to the damage the convention center sustained, it was that the situation gave management the opportunity to update the facility in terms of aesthetics. A plan for this was already in motion, but the storm and its aftereffects expedited its implementation.

In 2005, the convention center had contracted with the Atlanta office of TVS Architects to design an expansion—referred to as Phase IV, with a redesign of the existing Phases I, II, and III buildings to follow. But with the scope of repairs to be done after the storm, plans for Phase IV were put on hold and the focus turned to redesigning the existing facilities.

“TVS immediately turned its attention to the existing facility,” recalls Frances. “It looked at developing carpet patterns and fabrics for the meeting room chairs and ballroom chairs. TVS also created a new color palette for the whole building. There was a lot of terracotta at that point—and there are still some remnants of that palette—but we wanted to get away from that and have something more soothing and current.”

Frances explains that the convention center had also previously entered into a contract with the general contractor that built Phases II and III. This allowed it to begin work on other areas of the building while the interior design decisions were being made.

“There were parallel tracks occurring—working on design, on repairs, with manufacturers, and so on, so we would all wind up at the same place at the same time when it was done,” Frances recalls.

“Additionally, the governor had signed an emergency order that allowed us to negotiate rather than go out to bid as we typically would have to,” he says. “So, as the contractor began sealing the outside of the building where we had broken glass and roof damage, we had cleaning going on inside as well.

“We learned a lot,” Frances continues. “I probably gained 20 years of experience in three months. It was something that you never expect, but once you get into it, you almost put it on automatic pilot. Instincts take over to a certain extent. You just start at the beginning and work through it. Luckily, I was blessed in that I had very little damage at my home, so I wasn’t preoccupied with having to rebuild my home as well as having to rebuild the building.”

Less than two months after operations were forced to a standstill, at least four organizations had committed to keeping their 2006 events at the facility. The first would be a longtime client, the Helen Brett International Jewelry/Gift Merchandise Show in February.

“This would occur in the Phase II section,” says Frances. “The lobby would be done there then, since it was terrazzo, and the carpeted areas would not be ready. We set a target to be done with that area for that date in February, and we did it.

“The next goal was to open up Phases II and III, as well as the meeting room levels,” he continues. “We saved Phase I for last, because we didn’t have any shows scheduled in there until November.”

In November 2006, the convention center had officially completed the restoration. With the Phase IV expansion on hold indefinitely, the management staff continues to focus on providing a state of the art facility to existing and potential clients.

“We are redirecting those funds slated for Phase IV to do more interior renovations in Phase I that will attract more corporate and high end business,” explains Frances. “Part of the Phase IV plan was not just to create more space, but to create high end space. This will involve more sophisticated finishes and furnishings for a boardroom look. We will also upgrade technology.”

Looking Forward

Heading up these and other plans for the convention center’s future is Robert Johnson, who came on board as president and general manager in September 2007. While he was not working there during the recovery period, Johnson is no stranger to managing a facility in New Orleans. Having served as general manager of the Louisiana Superdome in the city from 1985 to 1995, he was able to hit the ground running.

“New Orleans is the world’s largest small city or the world’s smallest large city, depending on how you look at it,” says Johnson. “The tourism industry is a small community, so I was familiar with most everyone who was involved in it and is still involved in it. You become very familiar with how things work in the capital and Baton Rouge and with the city. So the learning curve has been very short.

“It has been great to get back involved with the same people who brought the tourism community together 25 years ago during the downturn of the oil and gas industries,” Johnson continues. “Those are the same people who have survived the challenges of the last several years, and they’re still here and everybody’s paddling as hard as they can. I’m happy to be in the canoe paddling with them, because New Orleans is such a great destination.”

In addition to the focus on technology upgrades, Johnson has some ideas about how to incorporate an art program into the space. “Whatever the format may be, I want [the art program] to reflect our local flavor, so that when we have visitors in our building, they’re immersed in New Orleans.”

Amidst all the improvements at the convention center, Johnson and Frances have not neglected to address how to protect the facility should another post-Katrina scenario occur. “We are going to become a headquarters for first responders,” explains Johnson. “So, we will have built in protection.”

Frances adds, “We have not had any problems with storms in the past two years, but we have worked very closely with Homeland Security and the State Office of Emergency Preparedness to come up with plans to secure the building.”

This article was based on interviews with Frances and Johnson.

To share your new construction or renovation story, send an e-mail to avazquez@groupc.com. Past Showcase features can be found on the Web at TodaysFacilityManager.com.

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