When people talk about which parts of New Orleans are desirable, you often hear the phrase, “block by block.” Meaning, in blighted parts of town there are bright spots. And in the nicer parts of town there are areas that are not so great.

Two parts of town that have been commercially block by block are the mostly empty lots around Loyola Avenue near the Superdome, and the largely abandoned Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard.

Today, that’s all changing.

Matt Schwarz’s The Domain Companies is investing a quarter of a billion dollars into developing a downtown wasteland into a commercial and residential community called The South Market District.

Linda Pompa is leading the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants and Business Association on a rapidly rejuvenating central city commercial corridor.

Linda Pompa and Matt Schwarz join Peter Ricchiuti on this edition of Out to Lunch with the lowdown on just how the back of town is coming back.