Kurt M. Weigle, President & CEO

Kurt Weigle is President & CEO of the Downtown Development District (DDD) in New Orleans.  During his five year tenure, the DDD has adopted & aggressively implemented its Canal Street Development Strategy; completed construction of the $17 million Canal Street Streetscape; completed the award-winning Unified New Orleans Plan (UNOP) Katrina recovery plan; and undertaken groundbreaking planning efforts aimed at development of historic districts, workforce housing, and mobility & parking.  In 2005, Mr. Weigle led efforts to remove the per-project cap on the Louisiana Historic Tax Credit, leading to $200 million of historic rehabilitation in Downtown New Orleans in the three years following Hurricane Katrina. He has worked to create or expand other development incentives including federal GO Zone incentives, Louisiana New Markets & Performing Arts tax credits, and façade improvement grants.  Under Mr. Weigle’s leadership, the DDD has been instrumental in securing commitment for new LSU and VA teaching hospitals after Katrina – more than $2 billion of new investment.

In addition to his development activities, Mr. Weigle has instituted a focused, flexible and accountable DDD police detail; refocused & re-branded the DDD’s Public Safety Rangers; introduced Continuous Quality Improvement to the sidewalk cleaning program; expanded web-based communications; and instituted an annual customer satisfaction survey.  Prior to his time at the DDD, Mr. Weigle was Vice President of New Center Council in Detroit.   He serves on the boards of the International Downtown Association, National New Markets Fund, New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation, New Orleans Medical Complex, and Committee for a Better New Orleans/ Metropolitan Affairs Committee.  He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, International Economic Development Council, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  Mr. Weigle earned his Master of Urban Planning and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.