Hurricane Katrina showed no mercy to City Park, flooding more than 90 percent of New Orleans’ 150-year-old playground.

Before the storm, park officials were on their way to resolving monetary shortages that have plagued the park for years. In March, they adopted a $115-million plan for improvements through 2018. Then the Legislature passed a bill to direct 30 percent of state tax revenues from 700 Fair Grounds Race Course slot machines to the park.

Now officials are back to an even more desperate scramble for funds. The park lost $10.6 million in revenue from the hurricane and sustained nearly $43 million in damage.

“The biggest strain we have is we don’t have long-term operating income,” said City Park CEO Bob Becker.

The storm forced park officials to fire 220 staff members.

“It was pretty much the worst thing I’ve done in my professional career,” Becker said.

Only 22 employees remain, including the garden staff, plumber, carpenter, chief financial officer and amusement park director. The park has funds to support those staff members only through June.

About 1,000 trees fell and another 1,000 with water-damaged roots may be dead by springtime. The park lost many buildings, including those housing administration, catering and maintenance. The casino building was looted. The Botanical Garden, Tad Gormley Stadium, Pan American Stadium, eight sports fields, 20 tennis courts and the three golf courses suffered extensive damage and sat underwater for nearly two weeks. Water also damaged the amusement park rides and train engines. Virtually all park maintenance equipment and technology systems are ruined as well.

Park officials are still filing claims with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“We expect that process will go on through the first quarter or longer,” Becker said.

Meager funding

Unlike most parks, City Park receives little public funding — $200,000 from the state. It raises the remainder of its $10.8 million annual operating budget through admissions, golf, catering, amusements, sports venues and fund-raising. That self-sustaining income is at a standstill now.

Becker has offered FEMA trailer space in return for rent but has yet to hear a decision from the agency. The park collected some rent from contractors who camped there after the storm. Officials also offered space for an Army Corps of Engineers debris transfer station but the Corps only used a small portion of a parking lot for a short time.

The Azby Fund, a New Orleans family foundation, donated $1.1 million in November to restore the Botanical Garden and Storyland for Celebration in the Oaks, the park’s annual holiday lights event.

“That will raise money. Then we’ll see where we can go from there,” Becker said. “A lot will depend on how fast FEMA will allocate funding to us to repair other damaged facilities.”

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