ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BOULEVARD MERCHANTS AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

The Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants & Business Association (OCHBMBA) is been the lead organization engaged in a strategic plan to revitalize the Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. neighborhood commercial district. OCHBMBA has facilitated significant investment for the corridor over the years, especially in the post-hurricane Katrina environment, and the Boulevard is making a spectacular come-back.

In 2006, OCHBMBA successfully applied to become a Louisiana Main Street Community, and the area became a Louisiana Cultural Products District in 2009. Both initiatives are managed by OCHBMBA, which is a 501 c3 non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Louisiana.

Since hiring its first executive director in 2006, OCHBMBA has strengthened existing businesses and organizations; developed financial and other resources; procured technical assistance and university partners to assist property owners with redevelopment; and recruited new businesses identified as desirable by the community’s residents.