By Bruce Eggler, The Times-Picayune
January 20, 2010

A raucous public meeting Wednesday night on Children's Hospital's expansion plans drew more than 100 Uptown residents, many of whom spent much of the session jeering hospital and Audubon Commission officials.

One resident seemed to speak for many in the audience when he said, "Other than anger, I don't have a lot to contribute."

Children's Hospital officials would like to lease a 5.5-acre site behind the hospital for a multiple-phase expansion of the 55-year-old, 175-bed hospital.

The site, which now houses Audubon's tennis courts and Avenger Field, a former New Orleans Recreation Department playground, was not part of the original Audubon Park but was bought by a support group, the Audubon Natatorium, from a railroad in 1949. The same group sold land for the hospital to a group of doctors in 1950.

Although it has been used by the park for decades, the proposed expansion site is zoned MS, or medical services, rather than P, or park, officials said.

The hospital wants initially to build two two- or three-story buildings and to create a 160-space parking lot on the site. Eventually, officials said, they envision a six-story building at the rear of the site, closest to the river, and a three- or four-story building closest to Tchoupitoulas Street, with a five-level garage between them. The complex would be connected to the current hospital by two pedestrian bridges across Calhoun Street.

Audubon would build new tennis courts on the park's Riverview section next to the Mississippi River. That area already is home to many baseball and other athletic fields.

Many residents said the hospital expansion would be a visual blight and would worsen traffic, parking and flooding problems in the neighborhood.

They said Audubon should refuse to lease land for what some called "an industrial complex" and "a concrete jungle."

John Hopper, a neighbor who is chief development officer for City Park, told Audubon CEO Ron Forman and other officials, "Park land is precious. Once you give it up, you're never going to get it back." Audubon has a total of 400 acres, including its zoo and golf course.

Although several speakers said they recognize the important work Children's Hospital does, they said it has not always been a good neighbor and should not be allowed to expand in a way that would harm their quality of life.

Although hospital employees are forbidden to park in the neighborhood, speakers said hundreds of volunteers and family members of patients park in front of their homes every day. One said the expansion could bring another 1,000 cars a day onto narrow and already crowded streets.

Forman said Audubon has not decided whether to go ahead with the proposed lease, but he said, "We support Children's Hospital" and "are trying to respond to a request from a good neighbor."

The Audubon Commission will meet Jan. 27, but it is uncertain whether the issue will be presented at that time. Only one or two commission members attended Wednesday night's meeting.

Audubon officials said they do not know how much money they might get from the hospital. If they decide to lease the land, they said, they will have the site appraised and decide on compensation based on its market value.

Hospital officials also said they do not know how many beds or employees they might add if they go ahead with the expansion. That statement, like several others, drew catcalls from many in the audience.

Forman said Audubon has notified several immediate neighbors and the leaders of five adjoining neighborhood organizations of the Children's Hospital request, but most audience members said they had received no official notification.

Children's Hospital spokesman Brian Landry said the hospital would like to start construction of the expansion by the end of the year. Because the site has a 60-foot height limit, the hospital would have to get a height waiver for the six-story building, which would rise to 84.5 feet.

Bruce Eggler can be reached at beggler@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3320.

Posted by tchoupedup on nola.com
January 21, 2010

I attended the meeting and, in correction to the T-P article, not one commissioner from the Audubon Institute was present. Although Ron Foreman attended, he is not a commissioner.

Hospital representatives Brian Landry, VP Marketing and Steve Worely, Chief Executive gave an overview of the proposed expansion. Afterwards each person from the neighborhood was allowed to speak for 3 minutes each. Amazingly the hospital representatives could not advise the impact of the expansion on the following areas of concern to residences (nor did they have any current plans to study them):

1) Traffic increase in an extremely limited access area.
2) Environmental impact.
3) Flooding (due to increase run off from loss of vegetation / "green" space").
4) Parking: were they in compliance with number of parking spaces required per sq ft and what would be the impact on residential off street parking?
5) Lease Agreement: how much would Children's pay to lease the land from the Audubon Institute? (The representatives would not give a "ball park" number. Is it possible for Children's and Audubon to have gone this far into the project without some idea of lease cost?)
6) What alternate sites had been considered? (Note: this expansion is for ambulatory and outpatient care and doctors offices - not inpatient beds). Why not consider other sites including NOAH, DePaul or other areas with poor medical service (e.g. New Orleans East)?
7) Construction: What would be the ultimate bldg heights, long term footprint and construction timeline / impact on neighborhood?

In summary, the general message was trust us (Children's and Audubon) on this expansion. Sorry, but no matter how well intended a project is, it still needs to be professionally studied and legitimate concerns addressed.

Finally, the 2007 year end Children's hospital financial statement (latest statement I could find available to the public) shows:

Income Statement (P&L)
Total Revenue: $253,505,217
Total Expenses: $184,855,579
Net Gain: $68,649,638 (Earnings over 27% of revenue)

Balance Sheet
Total Assets: $888,908,078
(Includes $12M in cash and $740,090,726 in securities)
Total Liabilities: $525,043
Net Worth: $887,275,268

It appears that Children's Hospital isn't quite your average hardscrabble 501 (c) (3) Public Charity. Perhaps they could use their near billion dollars in assets to put an outpatient care facility in one of the more destitute parts of the city and (gasp) reduce the cost of patient care?

We remain concerned that the complacent composition of the public Audubon Commission, coupled with the unceasing profit agenda of the private Audubon Nature Institute, will mean that the Park's future will remain one of ad hoc and commercially-driven development not based on any consideration of the general public interest. Until a reconstituted Audubon Commission takes public input and accountability seriously, the ANI will continue to operate outside the purview of our city's zoning ordinances, land use plans, and alcoholic beverage laws.

Audubon Park Master Plan circa 2005


The map of the Audubon Park Master Plan shown above (90% developed pre-Katrina) shows clearly that most of the land in the arguably already over-developed Audubon Park is reserved for specific income-producing uses. The public green space for general use and passive recreation is restricted to the edges of the park and a few isolated spaces.

Our primary goal continues to be the preservation of what little remains of the passive public green space in Audubon Park. We have never been against organized recreational activities, including golf. We are merely advocates for public green space with no designated function beyond simply being "park"— not "car park", not "animal park", not "athletic park", not "golf park", just "park: an area maintained in its natural state as a public property".

Here's your chance to hear from the candidates.

Plan to attend and ask for each candidate's support to Save Audubon Park.

Several of the Audubon PArk area neighborhood associations are sponsoring a District A Candidate Forum, to be held Wednesday January 27th at 6:30 p.m. at Milestone Sabis Academy (St. Francis Assisi, 5951 Patton St).

All four candidates have confirmed their attendance.

Thanks to the very generous donations received to date, we can now offer Save Audubon Park yard signs and car decals (for the bumper or window).

Please let us know if you would like them delivered to you, or if you can come by to get them. We will gladly accept help in getting them distributed, so if you are available, please let me know. Please ask your friends and neighbors if they would like decals or signs.

If you would like them delivered, please email Melisa at neworleansmelisa@gmail.com with your name, address and how many signs you would like delivered, or call 458-5269. Signs are also available for pick up.

Thank you to the volunteers who continue to work on getting petitions signed. We have a lot of signatures, but still need a lot more if we are to make an impression to the Audubon Commission.

Melisa Rey

I'm sending out a big 'thank you' to those of you who have been working hard to get yard signs out. We can already see an impact on the streets that we've worked. We received another batch of them today and are expecting more...

Remember to ask friends and neighbors to sign our petition, put a car decal on, and put a sign in their yard.

We are planning to send out two groups of people this weekend (Jan 30-31) to get more signs out in people's yards. We will meet at the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Calhoun on Saturday at 9:30 and again on Sunday at 1:00. Please let me know if you are able to go out at these times with us. Of course, anyone can go out anytime, to do petitions, decals or signs but we thought it would be good to organize as many people at the same time if possible.

We are also looking for people to represent us outside of the polls on election day (next Saturday, Feb 6th) (within the guidelines of course.) We are planning to talk to people about our cause, get petitions signed, give out decals, and give out signs.

We've had several inquiries about large yard signs. We are so limited on money, we have not ordered large signs but if anyone wants one, we'll have some printed for a $40 donation for each sign requested. That's pretty much how much it'll cost us to have them printed.

Remember to let your political candidates know that this issue is important to you by displaying your car decals, signs, and by writing to or calling them directly. If you need contact information, let me know.

Thank you again for all of your support and help as we fight this proposal. The help and support that we've received has been very touching. Keep up the good work!

A million thanks, and Go Saints!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Melisa Rey
neworleansmelisa@gmail.com
504-458-5269

As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we do not endorse candidates for public office. We can, however, remind people of some history when it comes to candidates actual deeds while in office that may be relevant to issues concerning Audubon Park, especially development issues.

One of this organization's biggest concerns with the new golf course plans way, waaaaay back in 2001 was the proposed new "clubhouse", which as we all know was really planned as a new restaurant in Audubon Park. However, our city's zoning code still expressly outlaws restaurants in Audubon Park outside of the zoo. This is why the zoo perimeter had to be expanded to accommodate the Tea Room when it was built in 1999.

On March 21, 2002, ANI CEO Ron Forman stood up before the City Council and stated that the clubhouse "is only for golfers and no one else." These claims were repeated in July 2002 in front of the Board of Zoning Adjustments as well, when the ANI insisted that since it was not to be a full-service restaurant, only a "food service facility servicing golfers", it required no zoning variance to be built in the park. In January 2003, ANI COO Dale Stastny testified under oath that NO non-golf related functions would be allowed in the building, weddings and wedding receptions specifically would not be permitted in the clubhouse, and that if someone asked to hold such an event in the clubhouse, they would be told "no".

We all know the "true" truth now, of course. Even in these days of seemingly constant revelations about public officials' misinformation and misdeeds, it remains truly disheartening that this restaurant was built on such a foundation, by those entrusted with the stewardship of Audubon Park, and with our public money to boot.

These people have the support of Jay Batt.

In 2002, after famously accusing incumbent councilman Scott Shea of "flip-flopping" from his campaign position on numerous issues, Mr Batt promptly flip-flopped himself after winning the election runoff on March 2, 2002. During the campaign, he supported the neighbors in their dispute against the Audubon Nature Institute's plans, saying that the inadequate public notice by the ANI was "intended to pull the wool over your eyes and get it done before you knew," and agreeing with critics that the plan "was steamrolled through" and should be readdressed by the City Council. However, after Batt's first post-campaign fundraiser was held at the Audubon Tea Room, he flip-flopped right over to the dark side and went on the attack against critics of ANI.

Jay Batt claimed during the 2002 campaign, as he does now, that he supports adherence to the city's Master Plan and Zoning Code and to taking planning and zoning decisions out of the hands of politicians. However, promptly after taking office, he scuttled City Council Resolution 02-192, which directed the City Planning Commission to carry out an expedited review of the entire Golf Course renovation project, with particular reference to its conformity with planning guidelines and the city's Master Plan. Mr Batt's excuse was that it was a "bad idea" for one city agency (the City Planning Commission) to "oversee the work of a parallel city-empowered commission", a precedent that doesn't bode well for holding the Audubon Commission accountable for adequate citizen input and participation in its development plans.

District A
Tuesday, March 30th, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
City Park - Timken Center (old casino building) on Dreyfous Dr.
Parkview Terrace, 2nd floor

The New Orleans City Council, in coordination with the City Planning Commission, will hold public meetings in each Council District in an effort to inform and engage the public on the Master Plan, according to a press release from the council.

The council's Recovery Committee co-chairs, Cynthia Willard-Lewis and Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson, have scheduled the meetings from March 18-30. The public meetings will be held throughout New Orleans in each Council District.

Link to nola.com article

DISTRICT A MASTER PLAN MEETING AGENDA:

I. Welcome by Councilmember Shelley Midura
II. Overview of the Master Plan by City Planning
III. Public questions and comments:

-Please fill out your name and address on the comment card and write your question or comment on the back. Turn in your comment card to a member of Cm. Midura's staff or a member of City Planning Staff.

-Each card that is germane to the master plan will be read aloud and answered by planning staff. If the card is not germane to the Master Plan, someone from Cm. Midura's staff will contact you directly to assist.

-After your card has been read aloud and answered, if you would like to respond, you will have one (1) minute to do so.

-If you feel your question/comment requires further input beyond the answer provided by the planning staff, please email aechandler@cityofno.com with "Master Plan Comment" in the subject line.

-Comments may also be left with the planner by the Master Plan map.

As explained in the "Zoning" article below, it is critical that Audubon Park's neighbors ensure that the zoning changes in the new Master Plan actually remain, and are not derailed by those who seek to develop sites whose zoning has traditionally been at odds with their use, such as the land next to Children's Hospital that contains the tennis courts and Avenger Field. While this land in question has been zoned "Medical Services" under the current zoning code, it has been a publicly owned part of Audubon Park since 1949 when it was purchased by the Audubon Commission on behalf of the citizens of New Orleans. The new Master Plan finally corrects the zoning of this property and brings it in line with its traditional and long-standing use, a zoning change that advocates of the hospital expansion may try to 'excise' from the new Master Plan.

by Paul Murphy / WWL-TV Eyewitness News
Posted on March 10, 2010 at 5:21 PM

NEW ORLEANS -- Organizers of the "Save Audubon Park" campaign say there are close to 1000 yard signs across the Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans, expressing strong opposition to a move to expand Children's Hospital.

According to the hospital's plan, new acute care beds and outpatient clinics would be built where tennis courts and ball fields now exist, where Tchoupitoulas Street meets the park.

"It's just not appropriate to take four or five acres away from the kids that practice soccer and soccer on Avenger Field and the hundreds of people, if not thousands or hours a week of tennis that's played here over at the tennis courts.

Children's Hospital VP of Marketing Brian Landry said the hospital is attempting to grow in harmony with the community. Landry said the site is zoned for medical services.

"What nobler a purpose can that land be used than for that land be used to provide lifesaving care for children?" said Landry.

The Audubon Park Commission would lease the land to the hospital for 99 years. The park's CEO Ron Forman said the board is slowing down the project to address the neighborhood's concerns.

"The key issues, one, health care for children, exactly what they are going to provide with the additional health care, and secondly, neighborhood issues dealing with parking, traffic and other issues," said Forman. "Those issues will be discussed by our board."

The tennis courts would move to the Riverview section of the park also known as the Fly. Brian Kaplan, who manages the courts, said that's not a good idea.

"The ingress and egress is a real problem, getting people in and out of that area," said Kaplan. "The wind factor for tennis players is not good. It's just going to be awful crowded up there with the balls fields and the soccer fields and parking could be a problem, too."

Neighbors say the recently shuttered New Orleans Adolescent Hospital property across the street from Children's would be a better site for the expansion. The hospital says they have tried repeatedly to buy the land, but the state won't sell it.

"Our efforts have been unsuccessful, up until now," said Landry.

The hospital hoped to begin construction on the expansion by the end of the year. The project has now been pushed back into next year at the earliest.

Link to WWLTV.com

(Updated 2021) Every year since 2003, we have heard the claims by the Audubon Commission and Audubon Nature Institute that their still controversial “new” golf course is "a success!" When they demolished the original historic Audubon Golf Course in 2001, and began constructing the new course with $6 million mostly public dollars, the AC/ANI claimed the project was necessary in order to raise money for maintenance and support of Audubon Park. But every year when we dutifully update the financial numbers that are supposed to support the AC/ANI’s claims of "success" and "support for the park", we find mostly financial losses. Usually big ones.

For most of these years, we plugged in the Audubon Golf Course income/loss numbers directly from the Audubon Commission's audited financial statements posted on the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s website. For the twenty years between 1995 and 2015, it was a simple process to determine each year's golf course losses because the facility had its own column in the public "Schedule of Revenues and Expenses” along with each of the other Audubon Commission facilities.

But starting in 2016, things changed, and not in a good way: suddenly, Audubon decided to stop treating the golf course as a separate facility, and began to hide the abysmal golf course numbers among the overall park and zoo numbers, so they would no longer be immediately detectable. No one on the Audubon Commission seems to know who authorized this change in their public records either.

So much for transparency by a public body that is supposed to be answerable to the public.

But we persevered, and began to use public record requests to obtain Audubon’s Operating Statements in order to quantify the ongoing golf course losses. This had the added advantage of differentiating between the revenues and expenses of the golf course and those of the clubhouse-restaurant, which the audited financial statements had never done. These new numbers also turned out to be illuminating: if not for the ongoing losses of the golf course itself, the Clubhouse-Restaurant might actually be able to make enough revenues to do what the entire facility was meant to do from its inception, which is to provide much needed funds for the maintenance of Audubon Park.

The relative financial success of the of the clubhouse-restaurant compared to the golf course also confirms something we have claimed all along—that the entire course redevelopment in 2001 was primarily intended as a way to get a restaurant and reception facility into Audubon Park, and the AC/ANI never expected the golf course to be financially successful, despite their claims. It's long past time that this massive money-loser of a golf course, that prevents most parkgoers from access to almost 30% of the greenspace in Audubon Park, is closed.

Audubon Golf Course and Clubhouse-Restaurant YTD Operating Income (Loss) from 2012 to 2019

Year	Course Income (Loss)		Clubhouse Income (Loss)		Facility Income (Loss)
2012	(37,500)		(115,700)		(153,200)
2013	(85,200)		(70,000)		(155,200)
2014	(213,700)		(98,700)		(312,400)
2015	(370,700)		(191,800)		(562,500)
2016	(399,100)		(313,100)		(712,200)
2017	(268,300)		184,900		(83,400)
2018	(248,700)		298,100		49,400
2019	(303,600)		196,600		(106,700)

The discrepancies between AC/ANI “Operating Statements” and the “Combined Schedule of Revenues and Expenses” that is part of the Audubon Commission’s annual financial report have never been explained. The numbers on this chart detailing the separated golf course and clubhouse restaurant revenues and expenses are copied from four line items in the Operating Statements: “Golf Course Fees, Rentals, Proshop Operating Revenues,” “Golf Course Operations Operating Expenses,” Golf Clubhouse Operating Revenues,” and “Golf Clubhouse Food Service Operating Expenses,” which are the only golf-related items on the “Zoo and Park Operating Statements.”

---

The Audubon Commission Financial Statements of 2003 proudly note that "the newly renovated Audubon Park Golf Course and new Audubon Park Clubhouse generated additional revenues of approximately $1,540,000." They chose NOT to mention that expenses of over $2 million were also generated, resulting in a hefty loss for the new course in its first full year of operation (2003), a pattern that has continued every year since... as predicted by many who opposed the course in 2001. We've charted the numbers for 1995-2019 below.

While we've certainly never claimed to understand Audubon Commission and Audubon Nature Institute economics, it seems that earning $50,000-$100,000 a year from an "old" golf course is far preferable to consistently losing hundreds of thousands of dollars each year from their new one instead. While revenues for full year 5 of operation (2008) were certainly higher than the $1,318,449 projected by the economic study they used to justify the course's construction, the corresponding expenses for year 5 were projected at a mere $948,308 rather than the grim reality of $2,345,956. In full year 10 of operation (2013), their "Audubon Park Golf Course Improvement Study" had projected $1,547,447 of revenue and $1,102,000 of expenses with a resulting cash flow of $445,447—but the actual figures were $1,792,320 for revenue and $2,372,573 for expenses for a total LOSS of $580,253 instead!

Is this really what the AC-ANI had in mind? And more importantly, does this sound like good management to you? For an organization that receives almost one-third of its revenues each year from our tax dollars and spent $6 million of mostly public dollars to build this golf course, perhaps a bit of public accountability should be expected.

The following chart shows the Net Operating Income and Loss of the Audubon Golf Course over a twenty-five year span, from 1995 through 2019. The old golf course was closed in July 2001 for construction of the new $6 million course from September 2001 through September 2002, and the new course opened to much fanfare in October 2002. The new 'not-a-restaurant' Golf Clubhouse opened in April 2003.

The numbers below were taken directly from the Audubon Commission's audited financial statements posted by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. Our original version of this chart included depreciation and amortization figures in the losses, but the chart has been revised to show only operating revenues and losses. Even excluding depreciation and amortization, however, the golf course made a profit in only ONE year since 2003: in 2006, when almost every other golf course in the city was closed post-Katrina, the golf course made $94,963 in profit.

Audubon Golf Course Operating Income/Loss from 1995 to 2019 with depreciation excluded

Year	Operating Revenue		Operating Expenses		Operating Income (Loss)
1995	391,248		345,971		45,277
1996	454,237		351,219		103,018
1997	472,059		335,631		136,428
1998	448,445		336,966		111,479
1999	419,158		339,843		79,315
2000	384,668		349,934		34,734
2001 (open Jan-June)	220,322		258,522		(38,200)
2002 (open Oct-Dec)	278,332		245,227		33,105
2003	1,818,402		2,031,098		(212,696)
2004	1,957,023		2,195,035		(237,962)
2005 (closed Sept-Oct)	1,658,030		1,769,027		(110,997)
2006	1,598,172		1,503,209		94,963
2007	1,853,945		1,947,031		(93,086)
2008	1,841,812		2,002,983		(161,171)
2009	1,722,357		1,855,066		(132,709)
2010	1,707,150		1,823,280		(116,130)
2011	1,698,640		1,713,897		(15,239)
2012	1,714,905		1,806,274		(91,369)
2013	1,792,320		1,918,981		(126,661)
2014	1,691,577		1,998,188		(306,606)
2015	1,839,644		2,379,001		(539,357)
2016	2,288,200		3,000,400		(712,200)
2017	2,701,100		2,784,500		(83,400)
2018	2,269,000		2,219,600		(49,400)
2019	2,164,800		2,271,500		(106,700)

First, and most important, the new Master Plan adopted in 2010 does nothing to protect our public parks from development. If this protection ever comes, it will be as part of a new comprehensive zoning code, which is possibly five years in the future, by which time there may be nothing left to save if the current rate of development is any indication.

Second, there is apparently vast confusion at City Hall as to who in fact owns and controls certain parcels of land that are historically a part of Audubon Park. This does not bode well for any positive outcome.

We don't know exactly where the confusion lies, but it seems unlikely that the question is whether the Audubon Commission can own property separate from its role to "administer, operate, and maintain" city property as per the Home Rule Charter. Section 5-802 (pp 150-151) of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans reads...

The powers, duties, functions, administration, and operation of the Audubon Commission shall be as provided in this chapter to administer, operate, and maintain facilities administered by the Commission, including Audubon Park, the Aquarium of the Americas, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, the Species Survival Center, the Louisiana Nature Center and other educational, cultural and recreational facilities, and to perform such other duties as are provided by applicable law, subject to the provisions of the City’s Master Plan, its land use regulations, and its permitting authority. The Commission shall not accept, assume, or exercise any power or function which relates to taxation or the police power or which imposes a financial obligation on the city derived from any state law unless approved by ordinance of the Council.

The Audubon Commission has a 24-member board appointed by the Mayor. The City has financial accountability because it appoints a voting majority of the board and the City can impose its will.

Audubon Park Natatorium, Inc.

Perhaps the issue lies in the convoluted nature of the relationship between the Audubon Commission and Audubon Park Natatorium, Inc, the operator of the Audubon Park swimming pool from 1928 through the 1960's. Audubon Park Natatorium was incorporated in 1927. According to their articles of incorporation, the purpose of the corporation was to provide a recreational park space for swimming pool and facilities. In 1929, Audubon Park Natatorium, Inc. amended Article III to include other recreational purposes, stating specifically “tennis courts and athletic fields”; and Article IV, to issue common stock to the Audubon Park Commission of New Orleans in consideration of said commission granting to this corporation a lease and concession of its natatorium and the adjacent grounds.

On page 123 of Ron Forman's book Audubon Park: An Urban Eden, published in 1985, he writes: "Almost as soon as the idea for a large swimming pool was conceived, financial contributions flowed to the park as never before for any private development. When sanitary conditions in Olmsted's lake made mass swimming there undesirable, the Businessman's Club of Carrollton raised almost $150,000 for a new natatorium. When they managed to gain more than half of the amount through pledges in less than five months, Commissioner Harry L. Falk put together a corporation that raised the balance of the funds by selling common stock in the enterprise" (i.e. Audubon Park Natatorium, Inc). Later, he writes: "It was one project that not only paid for itself but also brought additional revenue for further construction and landscaping."

Avenger Field is featured in the book as a prominent part of the map of Audubon Park. On page 63, Forman writes: "In 1949 the commission purchased a square of land fronting on Tchoupitoulas Street, lying between the park and Children's Hospital. The area, known as both the Mengel Tract and Avenger Field, is scheduled to become the site of the Audubon tennis courts, which are to be moved from the longtime location next to the zoo." Audubon Park Tennis Courts were moved to the present location fronting on Tchoupitoulas Street in 1987.

However, Avenger Field predates the Audubon Commission land purchase by several years. That land, then owned by the railroad, was dedicated on July 30, 1944, as "Avenger Field" by a representative of the mayor, and the City of New Orleans established the baseball field with a diamond and erected a grandstand, which held approximately 300 people, for the youth of New Orleans.

Secretary of State records indicate that Audubon Park Natatorium, Inc was registered in 1927, revoked in 1982, reinstated in October 1991 with Henry "Tut" Kinney (the attorney for both the Audubon Commission and the ANI) as registered agent, revoked again in 2002, and finally dissolved in January 2004. The relationship between the Commission and Audubon Park Natatorium, Inc. may have been similar to the relationship between the Commission and the ANI, or the AC/ANI and Audubon Tea Room Catering, LLC, or Tea Room Catering, LLC, neither of which seem to be owned or controlled by anyone outside the Audubon Nature Institute. Or the Audubon Commission may simply have been the only shareholder left in the corporation.

Conveyance Records

In the meantime, on March 13, 1992, Conveyance Records indicate the filing of a Subdivision (Title Change) approved by the City Planning Commission, of land bordered by the Mississippi River, Exposition Blvd, Tchoupitoulas and Henry Clay. Owners before the subdivision were listed as Audubon Park Natatorium, Inc, and Crippled Children's Hospital; the land is subdivided as Lots C, N, H, and P (Instrument #49108).

A few days later, on March 16, 1992, Conveyance records show a sale of part of Lot C for $200,000 from Audubon Park Natatorium, Inc to Children's Hospital (Instrument #49605).

Finally, on November 2, 2003, Conveyance records show a transfer of 100% of the assets of Audubon Park Natatorium, Inc unto the Audubon Commission, Lots N and P, in consideration of cancellation of shares of capital stock in Audubon Park Natatorium, Inc (Instrument #275843).

Property Records

Lot H seems to be 6300 Leake Ave, owned by Children's Hospital since 3/92 according to property records. 200 Henry Clay Ave, described as Lot C, is listed in property records as being owned by Children's Hospital since 3/92 as well. Lot N and Lot P are listed in city property records as being owned by the Audubon Commission since November 26, 2003.

Perhaps the answer lies in the chain of title or in the conveyance documents, all of which were filed by the AC-ANI's attorney Henry "Tut" Kinney. Or in the city's property records: the numbers relaying the sizes and descriptions of each lot are too challenging for us laypeople to figure out, but certainly seem to add up at first glance to more land than the original site appears to contain. We've attached all relevant documents below, so perhaps someone with more knowledge in these areas can figure it out.

Property Records
Conveyance Records
Corporation Records

Media Advisory sent out by Brian Landry of Children's Hospital, Friday, April 16, 2010:

NEW ORLEANS - Children’s Hospital and the state of Louisiana, through LSU, have renewed discussions regarding a possible purchase or lease by Children's Hospital of the former New Orleans Adolescent Hospital (NOAH) property.

Children’s Hospital has previously explored the possibility of acquiring the former NOAH property and is encouraged by these recent talks. For the past several months Children’s has been in negotiations with the Audubon Commission to acquire use of land between the hospital and Audubon Park for expansion purposes. In light of these recent discussions with LSU, efforts to acquire use of the land between the hospital and the park have been discontinued.

By Bill Barrow, The Times-Picayune, April 16, 2010, 12:05PM

Children's Hospital and Louisiana State University are in talks over an agreement that would allow the Uptown medical facility to expand into the shuttered New Orleans Adolescent Hospital campus.

Children's spokesman Chris Price said the talks have progressed enough for Children's to discontinue its pursuit of 5.5 acres next to Audubon Park, a plan that has sparked considerable resistance from residents of the area.

None of the officials involved have disclosed potential terms that might be on the table.

State Health Secretary Alan Levine said last week that a lease or sale to Children's would be an ideal use of the NOAH property, which the state closed last year as it shifted inpatient mental health beds to a state hospital in Mandeville.

"Our primary interest is to ensure we leave all options on the table so LSU and Children's can negotiate an agreement that allows Children's Hospital the ability to develop a long-term solution for their need for expansion," he said. "We want to allow them the ability to acquire, in whatever form, the property they need to have a sustainable growth strategy."

Such a deal would satisfy the terms of Rep. Neil Abramson's House Bill 1150, which has passed the Louisiana House of Representatives and awaits action in the Senate. Abramson, the New Orleans Democrat who fought the Jindal administration's closure of the Adolescent Hospital last year, wants to allow the state to lease or sell the property but only on the condition that it remain a health care or health education facility.

The state acquired the property through a Dec. 16, 1981 transfer agreement from the federal government. That deal specified that the property would be used for "general health care" services for 30 years, a period that expires in December 2011.

Before Katrina, the property primarily housed inpatient care for children and adolescents suffering from mental illness. After the storm devastated the city's mental health care infrastructure, the state used some beds for adults and added outpatient functions.

Expanded article from April 17, 2010

Children's Hospital and Louisiana State University are in talks about an agreement that would allow the 55-year-old Uptown medical facility to expand into the shuttered New Orleans Adolescent Hospital campus that the LSU System controls.

Children's Vice President for Marketing Brian Landry said the talks have progressed enough for Children's to discontinue its pursuit of land on the edge of Audubon Park, a plan that has sparked resistance from residents who live nearby.

"Children's Hospital needs to expand services, and the former NOAH property is currently our most viable option for expansion," Landry said, though he did not rule out revisiting the idea of securing land now owned by the Audubon Commission.

None of the officials involved has disclosed any potential terms in a deal that could involve a lease or sale of some or all of NOAH's State Street campus. "We are still in early discussions," Landry said, declining to speculate on when a deal will be reached or what it might involve.

In January, when Children's officials appeared at an Audubon Commission hearing, Landry said Children's hoped to launch new construction by the end of 2010.

Ray Lamonica, general counsel for the LSU System, did not respond to questions about the negotiations.

State Health Secretary Alan Levine repeated his position that a lease or sale to Children's would be an ideal use of the NOAH property, which the state closed last year as it shifted inpatient mental health beds to a state hospital in Mandeville and outpatient services to clinics elsewhere in the city.

Levine said he and other Department of Health and Hospitals officials have met "several times" with LSU and Children's executives. "I commend them for working hard toward a solution that gives Children's the opportunity to plan for its growth and LSU the opportunity to meet its needs and benefit the community by providing an outlet for expansion of Children's other than Audubon."

About 100 Uptown residents blasted Children's and Audubon Commission officials at the January hearing as they discussed Children's proposal to lease 5.5 acres that is now home to Audubon's tennis courts and Avenger Field, a former New Orleans Recreation Department playground. The site, which was not part of the original Audubon Park, is still zoned for medical services, but local property owners decried the possibility of new construction and increased traffic.

A Children's-LSU deal would satisfy the terms of Rep. Neil Abramson's House Bill 1150, which has passed the Louisiana House of Representatives and awaits action in the Senate. Abramson, the New Orleans Democrat who fought the Jindal administration's closure of the Adolescent Hospital last year, wants to let the state lease or sell the property, but only on the condition that it remain a health care or health education facility.

The state acquired the property through a Dec. 16, 1981, transfer agreement from the federal government. That deal specified that the property would be used for "general health care" services for 30 years, a period that expires in December 2011.

Before Katrina, NOAH primarily provided inpatient care for children and adolescents suffering from mental illness. After the storm devastated the city's mental health care infrastructure, the state used some beds for adults and added outpatient functions.

Landry said it is too early to speculate whether Children's, now a 175-bed complex, would use NOAH buildings, renovate them or build new structures. "How we might expand on the property is going to be determined by the details in the final purchase or lease agreement, and how much of the land and buildings we acquire," he said.

Initial plans for the Audubon site called for two buildings of two or three stories and a 160-space parking lot, with later plans for a two taller buildings and a parking deck and pedestrian bridges connecting the parcel to the current hospital across Calhoun Street.

Bill Barrow can be reached at bbarrow@timespicayune.com or 225.892.1716.

By Bill Barrow, Times Picayune Capital Bureau, April 08, 2010

BATON ROUGE -- After losing his fight last year to keep the New Orleans Adolescent Hospital open as an inpatient mental-health facility, Rep. Neil Abramson has returned this year trying to ensure that the Uptown campus at least continues to house some kind of health care operations.

This time, Abramson, D-New Orleans, and state Health Secretary Alan Levine, the architect of closing NOAH, are on the same side, agreeing on a compromise bill that would accomplish Abramson's aim while satisfying the state's effort to aid the Children's Hospital expansion.

The House Natural Resources Committee approved the revised version Wednesday of House Bill 1150, sending the measure to the House floor.

The bill would block the state from selling the NOAH campus, at Henry Clay and Tchoupitoulas streets, for at least a year. Thereafter any buyer would have to provide health care or health care education on the campus. If the buyer failed to meet that burden, Abramson said, the state would reclaim the property. The state would be free to lease the property immediately, as long as a tenant honored the health care requirement.

Abramson originally filed a bill to block the state from leasing or selling the property, while requiring that the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center ensure that "a portion of the facility ... be used for inpatient mental health care for adolescents and children."

The Department of Health and Hospitals opposed that measure, as it currently has no plans to use the facilities to house state offices or services. Levine said the revised version is reasonable, particularly because it leaves open the possibility of transferring the property to nearby Children's Hospital.

"Our primary interest is to ensure we leave all options on the table so LSU and Children's can negotiate an agreement that allows Children's Hospital the ability to develop a long-term solution to their need for expansion," he said. "We want to allow them the ability to acquire, in whatever form, the property they need to have a sustainable growth strategy."

Gov. Bobby Jindal and Levine last year announced plans to close NOAH, shifting the inpatient beds to Southeast Louisiana Hospital in Mandeville and replacing its outpatient functions with clinics in Mid-City and Algiers. Abramson successfully won an amendment to the state budget bill that would have blocked the move, but Jindal used his line-item veto to strike the language, paving the way for the administration to carry out the closure late last summer.

The state acquired the property through a Dec. 16, 1981, transfer agreement from the federal government. That deal specified that the property would used for "general health care" services for 30 years, a period that expires in December 2011.

Before Katrina, the property primarily housed inpatient care for children and adolescents suffering from mental illness. After the storm devastated the city's mental health care infrastructure, the state used some beds for adults and added outpatient functions.

Bill Barrow can be reached at bbarrow@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5590

by Michael Luke / Eyewitness News, wwltv.com
Posted on April 16, 2010 at 7:21 PM

NEW ORLEANS – Children’s Hospital had renewed talks to purchase or lease property from their shuttered neighbor, New Orleans Adolescent Hospital, according to Children’s Hospital spokeswoman Cathleen Randon.

“Children’s Hospital has previously explored the possibility of acquiring the former NOAH property and is encouraged by these recent talks,” said Randon in an e-mail.

The geographically hamstrung Uptown hospital, with NOAH on side and Audubon Park on the other, has been looking for ways to expand its campus.

Pleased with the direction of the talks, Randon said the hospital would cease trying to buy land near Audubon Park for expansion – a plan that was met with a great deal of opposition from nearby residents.

“For the past several months Children’s has been in negotiations with the Audubon Commission to acquire use of land between the hospital and Audubon Park for expansion purposes. In light of these recent discussions with LSU, efforts to acquire use of the land between the hospital and the park have been discontinued.”

This would not be the the first time Children’s Hospital used the facility, as employees worked at and provided services for part of the NOAH campus before Hurricane Katrina.

NOAH was closed in 2009 after Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed funding for the hospital, electing instead to send the 35 beds to Southeast Louisiana Hospital in Mandeville.

By Bill Barrow, The Times-Picayune, April 07, 2010

After losing his fight last year to keep New Orleans Adolescent Hospital open as an inpatient mental health facility, Rep. Neil Abramson has returned this year trying to ensure that the Uptown campus at least continues to house some kind of health-care operations.

This time, Abramson, D-New Orleans, and state Health Secretary Alan Levine, the architect of closing NOAH, are on the same side, agreeing on a compromise bill that would accomplish Abramson's aim while satisfying the state's effort to aid Children's Hospital expansion.

The House Natural Resources Committee approved the revised version of House Bill 1150, sending the measure to the House floor.

The bill would block the state from selling the NOAH campus, on the corner of Henry Clay Street and Leake Avenue, for at least a year. Thereafter, any buyer would have to provide health care or health-care education on the campus. If the buyer failed to meet that burden, Abramson said, the state would reclaim the property. The state would be free to lease the property immediately, as long as a tenant honored the health-care use requirement.

Abramson originally filed a bill to block the state from leasing or selling the property , while requiring that the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center ensure that "a portion of the facility ... be used for inpatient mental health care for adolescents and children."

The Department of Health and Hospitals opposed that measure, as it currently has no plans to use the facilities to house state offices or services. Levine said the revised version is reasonable, particularly because it leaves open the possibility of transferring the property to nearby Children's Hospital.

"Our primary interest is to ensure we leave all options on the table so LSU and Children's can negotiate an agreement that allows Children's Hospital the ability to develop a long-term solution their need for expansion," he said. "We want to allow them the ability to acquire, in whatever form, the property they need to have a sustainable growth strategy."

Gov. Bobby Jindal and Levine last year announced plans to close NOAH, shifting the inpatient beds to Southeast Louisiana Hospital in Mandeville and replacing its outpatient functions with clinics in Mid-City and Algiers. Abramson successfully won an amendment to the state budget bill that would have blocked the move, but Jindal used his line-item veto to strike the language, paving the way for the administration to carry out the closure late last summer.

The state acquired the property through a Dec. 16, 1981 transfer agreement from the federal government. That deal specified that the property would used for "general health care" services for 30 years, a period that expires in December 2011.

Before Katrina, the property primarily housed inpatient care for children and adolescents suffering from mental illness. After the storm devastated the city's mental health care infrastructure, the state used some beds for adults and added outpatient functions.

Bill Barrow can be reached at bbarrow@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5590.

The Audubon Commission is considering a plan to give part of Audubon Park to Children's Hospital for development. The project will include at least two additional buildings ranging from 2-6 stories and a parking lot. This would mean that they would take over the portion of Audubon Park which is now the tennis courts on Tchoupitoulas and Avenger Baseball/soccer field and stretch all the way to to the street alongside the Zoo and Exposition Blvd. (East Drive), and will also stretch from Tchoupitoulas all the way to the levee. The tennis courts would then have to be moved to what is now green space on the Fly.

Some of the neighbors' concerns include: loss of public green space in Audubon Park; additional flooding due to replacing greenspace with concrete over such a large area; increased traffic and safety on single lane streets through a residential area; neighborhood parking which is already at a premium; loss of the only tennis courts in Audubon Park; concerns about zoning compliance.

In addition, it is unclear why Children's Hospital is not utilizing its goodwill and standing in the community to instead propose an expansion next door into the deteriorating former site of the New Orleans Adolescent Hospital, recently abandoned by the state, or even onto the under-utilized wharves on the riverside of their current property (see aerial map). Children's Hospital officials claim to have attempted for years to negotiate for use of the state hospital property with LSU Medical School (which supposedly controls the property yet has no plans to use it), but to no avail. However, no explanation is offered as to why LSU medical officials would prefer the NOAH property to continue abandoned and deteriorating rather than be put to use by Children's Hospital.

Due to the proposed loss of part of Audubon Park and the impact to the surrounding neighborhood, we are asking for your help in opposing this expansion.

The Times-Picayune reports that Dale Stastny, longtime COO of the Audubon Nature Institute, has announced his retirement at the end of 2011. But their description of Stastny as "Ron Forman's right-hand man" actually understates his role: when it came to the day-to-day running of the ANI over the past ten years, behind the scenes he has often seemed to do the work of BOTH of Ron's hands. In addition, even during contentious controversies over whatever project or development the ANI was plotting, Dale Stastny could usually be counted on to be unfailingly respectful and courteous to members of the public, even when they were the vocal opposition. We often wondered over the years how he put up with doing so much of the real work for less than half of Ron Forman's whopping compensation...

Ironically, when asked which ANI project has been "most satisfying", he apparently cited the redeveloped Audubon golf course, a project that has LOST an average of $450,000 a year since the start!

From the Times-Picayune, March 22, 2011.

LEAVING THE ZOO: For three decades, Dale Stastny has been Ron Forman's right-hand man at the Audubon Zoo and all the other Audubon properties and projects.

While Forman dreamed up new ventures and raised the money for them, Stastny has made sure that the gates opened on time, the elephants got fed and -- above all -- that the books balanced at the end of the year.

By shouldering so much of the administrative load, he gave Forman the freedom to do things like run for mayor and serve as chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and the Superdome Commission.

But Stastny will turn 66 this year, and he has decided to retire. To prepare for the transition, he has given up his titles of executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Audubon Nature Institute and will be officially listed as a special adviser to the chief executive officer, namely Forman, until his retirement date of Dec. 31.

Another Audubon executive, Bill Kurtz, has been promoted to the new post of senior executive vice president and chief of staff, which combines his former job of chief revenue officer with Stastny's duties as chief operating officer.

Audubon's administrative structure, never short of impressive titles, contains three other executive vice presidents.

Stastny arrived at Audubon 34 years ago as finance director. Since then, he has helped guide the zoo's transformation from civic embarrassment to showplace and the creation of new projects such as the Aquarium of the Americas and the Audubon Insectarium.

Asked which project has been most satisfying, however, he cited the reconstruction almost a decade ago of the Audubon golf course, partly because he plays golf and partly because of the "neighborhood interaction."

His tongue had to be at least partly in his cheek as he said that, though. All of Audubon's projects, starting with renovation of the zoo, have aroused controversy, and none more than rebuilding the golf course. Although many golfers and some neighbors supported the plan, it inspired the formation of a group called Save Audubon Park, which for a time ran an active Internet-based campaign against all of Audubon's plans.

And what about Forman, who is just a couple of years younger than Stastny? Has he given any hints he is thinking about retiring soon?

Stastny scoffed at the idea. "Maybe sometime in this decade," he said.

By Greg LaRose, New Orleans City Business, March 29, 2012

Children’s Hospital has notified the state that it wants to purchase New Orleans Adolescent Hospital, the adjacent mental health care facility that has been closed since 2009.

Children’s issued a statement this afternoon say it had contacted Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater to express its intent to buy NOAH.

A purchase price for the Click here to find out more!
hospital was not disclosed, but Gov. Bobby Jindal’s budget proposal before the Louisiana Legislature includes a $35 million provision for the sale of the hospital.

Gov. Bobby Jindal announced in 2009 that he would shutter NOAH and move its 35 inpatient beds to Southeastern Louisiana Hospital in Mandeville where care costs would be almost 50 percent lower. Outpatient clinic services at NOAH were moved to an Algiers location.

About 200 employees at the hospital were affected by the shutdown.

Transferring the facility to private ownership has been an option the administration has put forward since it first announced it would be pulling state money from NOAH, the city primary mental health care site for youth before Hurricane Katrina.

According to the statement from Children’s Hospital, the property will be used for “health care and educational purposes well into the future.”

The Audubon Commission and Audubon Nature Institute are privatizing more public parkland under their control. Their latest "business-as-usual" project involves the further privatization of public park property—over which they have carte blanche—this time by expanding the land on the Fly/Riverview that is exclusively controlled by the Carrollton Booster Club. Without any public comment or input, the Institute entered into a CEA with the club to build the new "Benson-Brees Soccer Complex" on land that is currently open public park, to be managed and operated by the private Carrollton Booster Club for the exclusive use of its members. Not coincidentally, Gayle Benson, of the New Orleans Saints, and Storey Charbonnet, who heads the Carrollton Booster Club, are both current members of the Audubon Commission. In most cities, such an agreement would (and should) raise some eyebrows.

In a WWLTV interview January 19, 2010, Children’s Hospital Vice President of Marketing Brian Landry is quoted as saying “What we're talking about is land that's adjacent to this campus that's always been zoned for medical services. The initial master plan was always to develop that site.”

This mysterious Master Plan to which Mr Landry refers is certainly not the Master Plan developed by the Audubon Institute under public pressure between 2000 and 2004, shown on this site's home page, and not the new city Master Plan that has been in development with extensive public input since 2005, shown here. The land use and zoning map pictured here, dated January 6, 2010, is the Master Plan and Zoning map that the New Orleans City Planning Commission approved on Jan 26, 2010, after almost 2 years of work and a $2 million investment. On this map, it shows the land correctly zoned as park, appropriate both to its historical use and its ownership by the city's Audubon Park Commission since 1949.

While the land is zoned 'medical service' on the existing zoning maps (which date from the '70's), it has never been used for anything but park since the Mengel lumber yard that used to occupy that site was liquidated in the 1930's, and the land was purchased for the park in 1949, before there was any children's hospital at all. The 'medical service' zoning in the 1970's may have been in error, or it may simply have been due to the presence of the old US Naval Hospital (that eventually became NOAH after the US government gave the property to the state of LA in 1981), and the Crippled Children's Hospital, which opened in 1955 and became Children's Hospital in 1976.

At the January 20, 2010 public meeting, many residents were surprised at the lack of substantive details about the proposed expansion plans offered by either the Children's Hospital representatives or the Audubon Commission representatives who were present. The cynical among us might suggest that it was only when someone belatedly realized that the park property in question was on the verge of being rezoned from "medical services" to "park and open space", that they basically threw together this clearly-not-well-developed proposal in an attempt to beat the implementation timeframe of the city's new Master Plan.

(Updated Aug 2023) On August 17, 2023, the news broke that Ron Forman was going to retire from his lucrative position at the helm of the "non-profit" Audubon Nature Institute. Since he was paid a whopping $4,695,767 in compensation in 2021, perhaps retirement finally looked affordable?

Sadly, while Ron Forman's salary never wavered from its ever-rising trajectory, the rest of the employees of the Audubon Nature Institute haven't fared so well.

ANI's 2019 tax forms show 1384 employees, a peak for the organization, with "salaries, other compensation, employee benefits" totaling $30,471,144. But in 2020, the employee numbers had dropped to 966, and the "salaries, etc" number had dropped to $19,905,721. In 2021, the employee numbers had dropped yet again, to 659, although "salaries, etc" only dropped to $19,555,203—largely because "compensation of key employees" had gone up—surprise!—by Ron's $4+ million extra compensation, even though the "other salaries and wages" of the ordinary employees decreased by the same amount, to a low of only $10.5 million.

About Forman's excessive compensation, the 2021 ANI Form 990 dutifully states: "Audubon Nature Institute, Inc. has a discretionary 457 Executive Retirement Plan for one of its officers, President and CEO L. Ronald Forman. The plan provides additional compensation based on years of service and estimated pay at retirement. The assets of this plan are owned by Audubon Nature Institute. The plan was developed in 2004 as a best-practices strategy to retain seasoned professionals in senior leadership positions. During 2021, Ron Forman received a contribution of $142,081 to his 457 retirement plan. With the approval of the Audubon Nature Institute Board Compensation Committee, Mr. Forman received $3,913,194 in distributions from the 457 plan. The Committee accelerated the vesting requirement for a portion of the deferred compensation based on Mr. Forman's forty-eight years of service, the uncertain economic environment, and the desire to remove deferred amounts from the Institute's books. The payout represents 96% of Mr. Forman's deferred compensation, with the remaining 4% to be paid out at the end of his contract term. The distribution was properly reported on his 2021 W-2."

As CEO of the “private non-profit” Audubon Nature Institute, Ron Forman has always been paid far more than any comparable colleagues by a relentlessly wide margin. Consequently, we continue to be as surprised about this situation in 2023 as we were in 2002, when we first began to report it.

Ron Forman also receives his very substantial compensation—especially for a “non-profit” CEO—even when the organization he runs is struggling financially; even if he's actually spending his time doing something else; and even if the ANI has publicly stated that he has received a pay cut!

The ANI’s 2020 tax return confirms yet another false claim of a mythical Ron Forman pay cut—the third, by our count. On April 28, 2020, the ANI published a press release that stated: “While Audubon’s doors are closed to the public, dedicated staff are still onsite each day caring for the animals, which cost nearly $70,000 to feed each month. Unfortunately, because of the financial impacts of COVID-19, Audubon has reduced full-time staff by nearly 50 percent and reduced the salaries of some full-time employees by 25 percent. The salary reduction includes Audubon's executive team and CEO and President Ron Forman has taken a 50 percent pay cut.” (See newsroom.audubonnatureinstitute.org/audubon-nature-institute-projecting-to-lose-21-million--during-covid-19-closure)

However, Forman’s reported 2020 salary on the ANI’s 2020 tax return was $569,038 (plus $181,837 in other compensation, for a total compensation of $750,875), an increase from his 2019 salary of $563,453!

The ANI had previously claimed that Ron Forman had taken a one-third pay cut in 2005, a year that saw severe damage to ANI facilities from Katrina and resulted in the layoff of 700 out of 900 employees, but the decrease in his compensation from 2004 to 2005 ended up being only $5,487. In 2006, when he supposedly took an unpaid leave of absence in order to run for Mayor of New Orleans, his compensation soared $134,910 over the previous year!

Also on the 2020 tax return, the ANI reports a liability of $4.5 million in "Accrued Compensation," presumably due to their use of Executive Retirement Plans for officers like Ron Forman. For example, former Executive VP William Kurtz, who left in 2019, received over $2 million in previously deferred compensation from the ANI in 2020.

The ANI’s executive compensation has been controversial for decades—partly because the amounts seem excessive for an organization that frequently operates at a loss, but mostly because the compensation paid to its highest-paid executives includes public monies in the form of New Orleans property tax revenues, and the rent-free use of vast amounts of public property. While these public monies are technically collected on behalf of the public Audubon Commission, the AC functions less like the ANI’s employer, and more like the ANI’s rubber-stamp tool.

The ANI began participating in a discretionary 457(f) Executive Retirement Plan in 2004, for what were its three top-level officers—Ron Forman, Dale Stastny (who retired in 2011), and William Kurtz (who retired in 2019)—which is a deferred compensation plan expressly designed to provide additional, and seemingly limitless, pre-tax compensation to highly-paid key employees. There are no contribution rules for 457(f) plans, and an employer can contribute any amount—essentially deferring as much compensation as the executive likes, and the employer is willing to pay. The ANI claims on its IRS Form 990 to be in compliance with rules determining compensation of these employees; however, since these rules include "compensation being set by an independent Board of Directors" (which the ANI Board is NOT), and "salary decisions based on competitive market data" (which we have repeatedly shown is NOT the case), such compliance remains questionable.

Ron Forman's compensation as compared to ANI revenues.

The following chart compares the annual revenues of the ANI over a multi-year span as compared to Ron Forman's pay raises.
*The 2021 Total ANI Revenue number included more than $10 million in government grants, when previous government grants were in the <$100,000 range. Without that extra $10 million, the Total ANI Revenue number for 2021 would have been $22,341,482, with a net profit/loss of (-977,339).

From ANI's IRS Form 990's

Year	Total ANI Revenue (Net Profit/Loss)		Ron Forman's Base Pay (and Total Compensation)
2021	$32,674,283* (9,355,462)*		$619,050 ($4,695,767, including $149,394 deferred compensation)
2020	$23,699,306 (-884,509)		$569,038 ($750,875, including $161,581 deferred compensation)
2019	$36,791,742 (1,208,358)		$563,453 ($745,724, including $161,581 deferred compensation)
2018	$35,109,719 (-4,494,956)		$553,620 ($734,547, including $161,581 deferred compensation)
2017	$34,452,997 (-2,256,662)		$537,091 ($719,646, including $161,581 deferred compensation)
2016	$40,030,814 (4,413,143)		$536,806 ($718,347, including $161,581 deferred compensation)
2015	$30,887,681 (-383,052)		$539,930 ($720,334, including $161,582 deferred compensation)
2014	$29,283,488 (-1,083,320)		$528,226 ($708,582, including $161,581 deferred compensation)
2013	$30,405,440 (-419,373)		$522,181 ($704,891, including $161,581 deferred compensation)
2012	$33,259,354 (4,923,521)		$513,899 ($693,065, including $161,581 deferred compensation)
2011	$28,068,740 (1,201,383)		$513,579 ($758,692, including $228,910 deferred compensation)
2010	$25,743,479 (-1,870,002)		$511,361 ($689,989, including $161,583 deferred compensation)
2009	$25,326,607 (-989,317)		$495,056 ($831,356, including $324,042 deferred compensation)
2008	$28,000,718 (-1,431,716)		$512,221 ($552,694, including $30,822 deferred compensation)
2007	$24,364,181 (1,499,565)		$496,064 ($799,398, including $294,934 deferred compensation)
2006	$18,591,693 (1,031,768)		$443,513 ($626,592, including $176,779 deferred compensation)
2005	$23,290,347 (212,563)		$467,807 ($491,682, including $15,475 deferred compensation)
2004	$25,081,233 (2,017,150)		$473,316 ($497,169, including $15,453 deferred compensation)
2003	$23,135,812 (6,477,746)		$473,316 ($497,169, including $15,453 deferred compensation)
2002	$22,388,987 (-1,529,311)		$440,448 ($462,549, including $13,701 deferred compensation)
2001	$22,906,698 (2,164,223)		$400,611 ($427,567, including $18,555 deferred compensation)
2000	$21,078,203 (1,254,596)		$672,157 ($690,973, including $10,916 deferred compensation)
1999	$21,962,160 (994,555)		$360,962 ($378,555, including $10,393 deferred compensation)
1998	$3,658,485 (-1,242,908)		$359,859 ($377,250, including $10,151 deferred compensation)
1997	$6,129,267 (-3,101,696)		$311,357 ($328,276, including $9,719 deferred compensation)

The ANI website notes that its Board’s “Compensation Committee” meets every two to three years, and reviews various sources of information, including comparing compensation plans of other zoos and aquariums, of organizations that have a “significant impact on their city’s culture and economy,” and of organizations with similar revenues, budgets, number of employees, and assets. (See audubonnatureinstitute.org/ron-forman/executive-compensation-packages)

In addition, the ANI includes a sample list of other “comparable” organizations whose compensation packages they reviewed, presumably based on the ANI’s stated criteria of zoos, aquariums, and cultural institutions with similar revenues, budgets, and assets. The list on the ANI website as of Jan 2022 includes: Shedd Aquarium; Bronx Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society); Saint Louis Zoo Association; Chicago Zoological Society; Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo; Zoo Atlanta; and Georgia Aquarium. The list also includes random non-Zoo organizations such as: Isadore Newman School; New Orleans Country Club; WWII Museum; Sugar Bowl; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Museum of Contemporary Arts, Chicago; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and Indianapolis Children’s Museum.

So we decided to update our “CEO Compensation compared to Total Revenue” chart, first created in 2002 and last updated in 2011, and include the organizations the ANI Board determined were comparable to the ANI, as justification for Ron Forman’s substantial compensation package. ANI comparable choices are noted with an asterisk, and everyone can judge for themselves if these choices appear to be similar in revenue and CEO pay to Ron Forman’s ANI.

CEO Compensation compared to Total Revenue (from GuideStar, FY/E 2019)

Facility	Total Revenue		CEO Pay (Total Compensation)
Audubon Nature Institute	$36,791,742		$563,453 ($745,724)
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo	$72,462,794		$412,807 ($694,498)
Columbus Zoo & Aquarium	$84,038,749		$269,023 ($488,486)
Philadelphia Zoo	$40,201,321		$392,809 ($586,387)
*Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo	$42,262,357		$465,760 ($565,649)
San Diego Zoo	$422,092,199		$601,781 ($1,356,168)
*Bronx Zoo	$263,863,758		$653,592 ($1,305,650)
*Georgia Aquarium	$102,513,148		$323,311 ($524,329)
*Zoo Atlanta	$30,140,543		$348,912 ($615,433)
*Shedd Aquarium	$73,772,254		$436,180 ($626,952)
*Chicago Zoological Society	$70,997,747		$479,146 ($612,469)
*Saint Louis Zoo Association (2018)	$28,719,360		$554,740 ($943,210)
*Isadore Newman School	$31,477,628		$349,310 ($469,313)
*New Orleans Country Club	$10,858,334		$360,000 ($484,993)
*WWII Museum	$104,629,812		$390,431 ($524,188)
*Sugar Bowl	$18,671,678		$625,000 ($892,989)
*Museum of Fine Arts, Houston	$191,930,276		$589,274 ($1,174,206)
*Museum of Contemporary Arts, Chicago	$22,355,820		$625,908 ($690,376)
*Museum of Fine Arts, Boston	$177,299,579		$710,056 ($886,776)
*Indianapolis Children’s Museum	$37,288,677		$796,256 ($1,032,087)

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The following chart from 2011 is an updated version of one we did in 2002, and compares the annual revenues and CEO compensation of the Audubon Nature Institute with five zoos that are consistently rated among the top zoos in the United States and the world.

CEO Compensation compared to Total Revenue (from GuideStar, FY/E 2011)

Facility	Total Revenue		CEO Pay (Total Compensation)
Audubon Nature Institute	$28,068,740		$513,579 ($758,692)
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo	$31,947,123		$147,366 ($169,268)
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium	$55,059,900		$241,202 ($326,412)
Philadelphia Zoo	$47,299,068		$312,184 ($342,760)
Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo	$25,255,656		$400,000 ($443,311)
San Diego Zoo	$228,160,868		$271,157 ($542,940)

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[Original article from 2002 follows...]

As CEO of the ANI, Ron Forman continues to be paid far more than his colleagues.

Even a cursory glance at the figures in the following chart reveals that the Audubon Nature Institute operates a fairly medium-sized facility compared to other organizations in the country that also consider themselves to be in the animal conservation field, and that ANI CEO Ron Forman pulls down a rather supersized salary package. Even excluding heavy-hitters such as the Bronx Zoo, World Wildlife Fund and National Wildlife Federation, the ANI facilities are not remarkable in terms of their total revenue, but their CEO is far and away the best paid of the lot. Only the CEO of the Bronx Zoo makes more, and that by only a few points on revenue that is approximately 7 times greater.

The following chart compares the annual revenues and CEO compensation of various zoos, nature and animal conservation organizations from around the country, whose annual revenues either roughly equal or exceed those of the ANI.

From Charity Navigator, FY/E 2002

Facility	Total Revenue		CEO Pay
Audubon Nature Institute	22,388,987		448,848
Zoo Atlanta	18,156,877		175,000
Denver Zoo	20,491,906		151,908
Toledo Zoo	21,691,369		161,397
Woodland Park Zoo	22,111,475		114,483
Fort Worth Zoo	25,199,577		150,392
Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo	25,548,903		180,641
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium	31,747,228		178,391
Philadelphia Zoo	35,734,943		272,385
Lincoln Park Zoo	38,694,537		265,981
Brookfield Zoo	47,754,588		304,023
National Wildlife Federation	102,301,495		271,428
World Wildlife Fund	105,928,516		250,000
San Diego Zoo	133,313,374		256,448
Bronx Zoo	148,647,630		527,247

Yes, we've marveled at the ANI's executive compensation before...
From an August 2002 article:
Those who considered LSU Chancellor Mark Emmert's 72% salary increase "eye-popping" (T-P, 8/26/02, p. A-1) should probably stop reading immediately for fear of even greater physical effect, because it pales in comparison to the 86% increase given Audubon Nature Institute CEO Ron Forman in 2000. Unbeknownst to most residents of our cash-starved metropolis (except perhaps the ANI and AC insiders who presumably approved it) Ron Forman's salary increased from $360,962 in 1999 to a staggering $672,157 in 2000. Institute VP Dale Stastny also received a 73% salary increase, from $214,877 in 1999 to $371,083 in 2000.

"But Forman said his 2000 figure is misleading because the total included a large one-time payment [of $292,000] to cover 30 years of accumulated annual leave and sick leave he was entitled to but had not used." [T-P, 9-2-02]

Hmmm. Even accepting for the moment that Ron Forman didn't take vacations and sick days in 30 years, some of us can still manage simple math, so certain elements of Ron Forman's salary equation still left us confused and sceptical...

On October 10, 1995, Stewart Yerton wrote an article on Ron Forman and the Audubon Institute for the Times-Picayune entitled "Force of Nature". It was an excellent article. It also included the following paragraph regarding Ron Forman's salary: "And he [Ron Forman] earns a handsome living. In 1993, according to Audubon's tax return, Forman received a package worth $252,000. Audubon spokesman Steve Schulkens said this included a $160,000 salary and $90,000 for Forman's auto allowance, gasoline, insurance, an annuity and compensation for vacation time not taken. That doesn't count an extra $11,000 he received in contributions to an employee benefit plan and a $4,400 expense account [presumably in addition to car expenses], the tax return said." So in 1993, his $90,000 in "benefits" INCLUDED unused vacation.

Fast forward seven years to the year 2000, in which Ron Forman claims that his base salary was $260,000, plus $120,000 in benefits such as "retirement and life insurance plans" [total $380,000]. He also received $10,916 in contributions to an employee benefit plan and a $7,900 expense account. And, we've now been told, was paid $292,000 for 30 years of unused vacation time, which we're supposed to assume does NOT include the money he was already paid for that item in 1993? We're supposed to accept that the steady increases in compensation each year that got Ron Forman's "salary" from $252,000 in 1993 (that included compensation for vacation time not taken) to $311,357 in 1997, $359,899 in 1998, $361,000 in 1999, and supposedly $380,000 in 2000-- did NOT include further compensation for vacation time not taken?

Are you confused yet?

It's possible that 1993 was the only year out of the past 30 that Ron Forman received money for unused vacation time as part of his compensation of $250,000 that was reported to the IRS. But based on the figures reported in subsequent years by the Audubon Institute, he continued to receive even more substantial payments for ambiguous "benefits" as part of his regular compensation. Short of full disclosure on the part of the Audubon Institute, we have no way of determining what these payments were actually for, and whether some of it continued to be compensation for unused leave in any of these years. Common sense dictates, however, that if "payment for unused leave" becomes a regular part of someone's yearly compensation, then whatever anyone chooses to call it, and no matter how high or low the figure, you might as well just call it a salary increase.

And it doesn't take an investigative journalist to figure this out.

$672,157 makes Ron Forman one of the highest paid non-profit CEO's in the country, running an institution whose income is around $21 million. While we are fully aware that there are many people in our community who consider Ron Forman worth every penny that he is being paid, we thought a comparison of executive salaries in the non-profit sector was in order. ..

Out of the "Top 20 Compensation Packages" for non-profit CEO's cited on the American Institute of Philanthropy website (http://www.charitywatch.org), fifteen out of the twenty CEO's made under $650,000 in salary, benefits and expense accounts COMBINED.

The median salary of a male CEO of a non-profit institution with a budget between $10 million and $25 million was $135,937. The median salary for a male CEO of a non-profit institution with a budget over $50 million was still only $271,032.

Locally, for example, Tulane University President Scott Cowen is paid $373,587 to run one of the largest institutions in the region.

The salary of the CEO of the San Diego Zoo, with income of $133.5 million, was $231,633.

The salary of the CEO of the Philadelphia Zoo, with income of almost $29 million, was $199,867.

For the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York, which runs not only the Bronx Zoo, but also three other zoos and an aquarium, and has income in the $125 million range, 1998 is the only year we have a comparable figure. The CEO salary was $270,400 that year, compared to Ron Forman's 1998 salary of $359,899. The following year, CEO salaries became rather a controversial issue for the WCS, which ultimately paid $1,265,497 to a succession of three CEO's in one year! Ooops.

Largely due to the Forman and Stastny pay raises alone, the "Compensation of Officers" category on the ANI's IRS Form 990 went up 34% in 2000. Conversely, the category within which most Institute employees are found, "Other salaries and wages", saw a decline of 3.5%, proving that the ANI, like its contemporary counterparts in the for-profit corporate world, know precisely where best to apply their belt-tightening sacrifices.

But then, we already knew that, from a memo dated 3/16/2001, from Dale Stastny to Ron Forman, Re New Audubon Golf Club Operations, which explained:

"Its [new golf course] operational expenses will be approximately $1m, leaving net cash flow of $350,000. Therefore expenses need to be very closely controlled since this is not a large operation.... Of particular concern in developing an operational structure is minimizing the number of highly paid employees."

It then went on to list the golf course employees being fired, including a grounds supervisor with 20.6 years of service, whose "rate of pay was $8.25/hour, yearly salary $17,160. Recommendation: 30 days notice plus 8 weeks pay." All others being terminated were given 30 days notice plus 4 weeks pay.

During the boycott of the Zoo-To-Do a few months ago by restauranteurs protesting the ANI policy of forbidding outside caterers, spokesperson Sarah Burnette defended the ANI with the inimitable "As a non-profit, it's important for us to generate a lot of revenue." Well, we already knew "how", now we know "why".

ANI's IRS Form 990's are available at http://www.guidestar.org

Separating fact from fiction on Audubon's oft-repeated claim that they operate without receiving substantial public funding.

"Without receiving any operational support from public money ...we have significantly improved park services ..." (Ron Forman, letter to the Times-Picayune, 8-14-01)

This quote, and many variations thereof, are often seen in ANI publications and statements and are reflected in media reporting, such as in these two cases:

"...the bulk of the money for Forman's and all other Audubon employees' salaries comes from the institute's self-generated revenue, including memberships in the zoo and aquarium, admissions, gift shop sales, grants and other gifts, Audubon Tea Room rentals and revenue from the park's golf course." (Bruce Eggler, Times-Picayune, 9-2-02)

"...Forman has turned a struggling enterprise into a sprawling empire, with annual revenue of more than $20 million, which comes largely through membership fees, admissions and donations from the private sector." (Stewart Yerton, Times-Picayune, 12-31-02)

While fond of touting their "self-generated" income derived from "operational" revenues, the ANI habitually downplays the value of the land, the capital improvements, even the animals-- all of which belong to the public, have largely been paid for through the years by public money, and through whose possession and operation the ANI has generated all of their so-called "self-generated" income. Wouldn't one expect any competently-run business to thrive under such largesse?

Revenue from city property taxes, government grants and interest earnings account for 30-35% of ANI income; revenues that the ANI considers "self-generated" or "operational" monies-- gate receipts, memberships, rentals, concession sales, catering, promotions-- account for approximately 60-65% of all ANI income.

Following article reprinted from 2004

1999 and 2000 are the most recent years for which we have been able to obtain financial information on the ANI. We have not included figures on the Audubon Institute Foundation, whose endowment of $23 million has also been derived in large part from public funds. Reconciling the revenue figures on the ANI's IRS Form 990's with those on their annual financial reports is difficult to accomplish, so we're presenting them both...

From ANI Financial Statements:

1999 2000 Operating Revenue $ 23,313,138 (57.4%) $ 23,512,484 (57%) Non-Operating Revenue - Dedicated Tax Revenue $ 6,623,553 (16.4%) $ 7,251,137 (17.5%) - Intergovernmental Grants $ 5,340,820 (13%) $ 5,878,027 (14.2%) - Interest Income $ 1,568,826 (3.9%) $ 804,584 (2%) - ANI Transfers $ 3,785,137 (9.3%) $ 3,817,720 (9.3%) - Totals $ 40,631,474 $ 41,263,952   Net Income $ 3,896,969 $ 5,656,198 Retained Earnings $ 71,896,680 $ 77,552,878

From IRS Form 990:

1999 2000 Program Service Revenue $ 14,394,045 (65%) $ 14,664,555 (69%) Public Support $ 7,704,652 (35%) $ 6,427,677 (30.3%) Dividends/Interest $ 54,743 (<1%) $ 126,088 (<1%) Totals $ 22,153,440 $ 21,218,320

From the outset, ANI officials doggedly insisted that the function of the new clubhouse was to provide facilities "for the comfort of users of the golf course". In a deposition from January 2003, Dale Stastny swore under oath that NO non-golf related functions would be allowed in the building, weddings and wedding receptions specifically would not be permitted in the clubhouse, and that if someone asked to hold such an event in the clubhouse, they would be told "no".

However, we always suspected that the ANI planned to operate the golf clubhouse as another party rental facility from its inception. While they denied the charge every step of the way in public, we believe that they planned the building for this use all along. From the beginning, the food service in the clubhouse made up a far greater proportion of the facility's revenue than they claimed it would (24% vs 3%), as we pointed out long ago for 2003, which was the first full year of operation. (see The Clubhouse Reality III).

Just before Katrina, we analyzed the activity at the clubhouse once again. During the period from April 2004 to April 2005, there were 79 private functions held at the clubhouse, broken down as follows:

Weddings: 18 events, revenue $129,203.58
Private parties: 14 events, revenue $44,924.75
Corporate parties: 22 events, revenue $66,303.55
Golf tournament meals: 16 events, revenue $21,109.17
Misc events: 9 events, revenue $8829.99

Thus a total of private rental revenue of $270,371, of which 48% was from weddings, and 89% was from functions having absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with golf. And these were early years: since that time, the ANI openly advertises the golf clubhouse as a rental facility for private parties, weddings, etc, just as it does the Tea Room.

We have not gone back and reviewed any of their financial records since the storm, but anyone spending any time in the park can tell that the number of private functions held at the clubhouse has increased steadily over the past several years. In fact, members of the neighboring Upper Audubon Association have made complaints about the noise from nighttime activities at the new clubhouse, and made inquiries as to what the permitted uses for operation were supposed to be. Unfortunately, since the ANI insisted unequivocally (all the way through the municipal and state court system, in fact) that the building was to be used only as a golf clubhouse, and absolutely not as a restaurant or party rental facility, it naturally received none of the restrictions or operating conditions that would have been applied to a restaurant or banquet rental facility operating in that location.

Once we found out how significant were the profits from their various food service facilities such as the Tea Room, we started to suspect that the entire golf course renovation, having clearly nothing to do with Audubon's primary wildlife business, had never been anything but a pretext to get another party rental facility built in Audubon Park. Such a facility is not allowed under present zoning without the "it's a clubhouse" cover.

The Audubon 2000 master plan from the early '90's proposed considerable increases in revenue to be generated from food concessions and gift shops. Constrained by zoning regulations, all such activities, the Audubon Tea Room and Audubon Marketplace among them, had to be squeezed within the zoo boundaries. While the rediscovery of their long-neglected golf course was never part of Audubon 2000, if there had been any doubt that the cornerstone of the redevelopment was the construction of a new 8000 sf restaurant/clubhouse in the park itself, the complete shelving of the project for a year because they lacked the money for this new building made that perfectly clear. The ANI has also been strongly, and successfully, advocating changing the zoning for parks to allow for any commercial developments they may choose to adopt in the future.

We believe that if a Master Plan for Audubon Park had existed before the golf course redevelopment was started, not only would there have been much less controversy, but the redevelopment would have been more sensitive to the interests of the wider park-going public.

The Audubon Commission and Audubon Nature Institute were in the process of developing such a plan before Katrina. However, we remain concerned that any plan will not ultimately protect Audubon Park from further unwarranted development brought on by the financial imperatives of its guardians, and at the expense of the passive green space, public accessibility and tranquility of this valuable urban oasis.

• Audubon drafts 20-year plan


• They're at it again


• Audubon Park seeks input toward new Master Plan
  


• SaveAudubonPark's platform for a new Master Plan


• ANI's idea of a Master Plan

[From 2003, updated 2007] Despite the ANI's claim that the new golf course was necessary to provide 'operational funds for maintenance of Audubon Park', their much-heralded new facility finished its first full year of operation (2003) firmly in the red, with a loss of $212,696, plus depreciation of $123,604 for a total Operating Loss of $336,300. Their 'not-a-restaurant' clubhouse food service, however, accounted for 24% of total revenue in 2003, far more than the 3% they had projected.

But even though the ANI quickly began renting the clubhouse as a private party rental facility, something they had vowed would never happen (see below), the golf facility has continued to lose money. In 2007, with operating revenues of $1,818,402 and expenses of $2,154,702, the Audubon Golf Course closed 2007 with an Operating Loss of $415,819.

Figures from the first full year of golf course and clubhouse operation (2003)

One of the main rationales put forward by the Audubon Commission for the costly new golf course redevelopment was that it would create revenue for the maintenance of the public areas of the park (see an interview with Dale Stastny).

Unfortunately, as the following figures indicate, the new facilities have so far done nothing of the sort:

	Food Service in Clubhouse	Golf Course Fees/Pro Shop
Operating Expenses	$644,500	$1,390,300
Revenue	$431,300	$1,386,900
Profit/Loss	$213,200 LOSS	$3,400 LOSS

However, these figures also indicate that the food service alone managed to generate 24 percent of the revenues for the entire golf course facility, which includes income from green fees, course rentals and the pro shop-- not bad at all for a simple food service meant to cater to golfers! When tirelessly reiterating the AC/ANI mantra that the clubhouse was NOT a restaurant because restaurants are not allowed in Audubon Park, COO Dale Stastny stated: "The zoning ordinance specifically defines what a restaurant is. Primarily what it is, is a building that gets about half its revenues from selling food. Well, we're going to get about 3% of our revenues from selling food because it's a clubhouse. It sells tickets to the golf course, it rents carts, it sells stuff in the pro shop, and it provides a food service." (see an interview with Dale Stastny).

As was the case with the controversial expansion of the zoo itself, AC/ANI claims that newly generated revenues would be put to good use in the park have so far proved unconvincing. That their restaurant, built with public money and generating nearly half a million dollars in revenue, could make such a substantial financial loss in its first year despite claims of its "outstanding success" might surprise impartial observers. Could the time be far distant when we will hear the ANI claiming that the new clubhouse simply MUST be allowed to become a non-golf-related event rental facility like the Tea Room in order to make any money?

A more cynical observer, on the other hand, may also note that if the clubhouse or the course itself were to make a profit, Audubon might be held to its promise with regard to spending some of that money on the public areas of the park. Better then to lobby in their new Master Plan for additional new building construction on the Riverview that will be available for public rental (surprise), and which they will no doubt claim will also be used to "generate monies for the maintenance of Audubon Park".

Expansion of the clubhouse food-service facilities is planned At a meeting of the Audubon Commission held on Thurday August 19th 2004, a motion was passed to accept bids for $ 14 million in construction projects. The largest amount, $ 7 million, was for the insectarium., but also included were $ 500,000 for improvements in the Tea Room and $ 75,000 for improvements to the Golf Clubhouse.

According to representatives of the Audubon Nature Institute, the Clubhouse and Tea Room needed the expansions in order to improve service capacity. According to ANI, the Clubhouse needs additional space for freezers and storage. Also according to ANI, there is insufficient space to "plate up" in the Tea Room; for large events, they have had to work out of tents, so the Tea Room expansion includes a new "plate room" and space for freezers.

In approving the Clubhouse in 2002, the Board of Zoning Adjustments required that it be operated "as a meeting facility and not operate as a full scale restaurant." However, the facility currently draws crowds, particularly for lunch and brunch, and often appears to serve the general public more than golfers.

It is clear, as SaveAudubonPark has maintained all along, that the Clubhouse is intended as a profit center for the Audubon Institute, and far exceeds what would be needed to serve the needs of golfers. Audubon's own consultant said as much:

In most cases, the needs of the public golf patron precludes the necessity for extensive locker rooms, showers, or restaurant facilities. It is, in fact, rare when facilities such as these are more than a waste of space and development funds.

Though Audubon and, in particular, Mr. Forman, have promised that the building spree at Audubon was over, it is clear that the Commission and Institute still see commercial expansion into public green space as their mission.

See Also...

The Clubhouse Reality II
Clubhouse dining seating goes from 39 to 125

The Clubhouse Reality I
More drawings and observations on the size and nature of the new building
 
Newsletter February 12th 2003
ANI's own study describes an extensive clubhouse as a "waste of space"

The Audubon Commission and Children’s Hospital held a public meeting:

When: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Time: 6:00PM
Where: Cafeteria/auditorium, Milestone Sabis Academy,
5951 Patton Street

Discussion items include:
-A long-term Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the Audubon Commission and Children’s Hospital allowing the use of 5.5 acres of land (Avenger Field and the tennis court land) adjacent to the hospital for expansion purposes.
-An overview of the hospital’s expansion plans for the property.