An attentive crowd of more than 200 people applauded warmly Tuesday night after each of three presentations on proposals to develop a children's museum, a television studio and a state-of-the-art golf complex on the grounds of New Orleans' City Park.

But when it came time for those in attendance to comment on the proposals, words of support were few and far between.

"There's no shortage of empty real estate out there," said David Muth, referring to the vast swaths of property in the city left vacant by Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters. "We don't need to turn this park into a highly developed, money-making operation."

As they did after more than a dozen other speakers expressed similar sentiments, many in the audience at the park's Pavilion of the Two Sisters cheered loudly as Muth took his seat.

Although no one directly criticized representatives of the Louisiana Children's Museum or Louisiana Public Broadcasting for suggesting that their new facilities become part of City Park's master plan, it was clear that few who came to hear the proposals were buying the argument that the developments would enhance the park.

"A park is green space," Joseph Hooter said. "Once you take that green space, you'll never get it back."

Ed Mathes implored park officials not to be tempted by developers bearing revenue-generating concepts. "If you're not careful about precedents," he said, "you'll get a long line of people waiting to come in."

Leo Watermeier, who urged the Children's Museum to remain at its Julia Street location in the Warehouse District, noted that City Park's current zoning doesn't permit construction of a television or radio station.

"Restore City Park, don't develop City Park," he said.

One of the few supporters for the children's museum and studio proposals was John Bullard, director of the New Orleans Museum of Art, who said "new cultural institutions" such as those suggested would only "complement" the museum, which is at the park's southeast corner.

Some of the harshest criticism was reserved for the Fore!Kids Foundation, which wants to replace the park's storm-battered golf courses with a state-of-the-art complex capable of hosting PGA Tour events.

The golf course project, to be overseen by the nonprofit Bayou District Foundation, would be part of a $240 million development that also would include construction of more than 1,100 units of mixed-income housing, two 400-pupil charter schools and a YMCA family center, all on or near the site of the soon-to-be-demolished St. Bernard public housing complex.

"Who is served by championship (golf) courses?" Michael Easley asked. "Once the princes of the tour go home, who will play these courses?"

Housing advocate Elizabeth Cook said she found it "appalling" and "obscene" to be discussing golf courses while thousands of New Orleanians remain displaced two years after Katrina.

The primary purpose of Tuesday night's hearing was to provide the public with an update on the park's 13-year, $115 million master plan, adopted before Katrina, that includes a range of new attractions across its 1,300 acres, from a skate park and children's water-play area to an amphitheater.

Most of those ideas were warmly received. In fact, some speakers said the proposed skate park should be expanded.

Proponents of the new and expanded Children's Museum project have their eyes on a 12-acre site on the north side of Roosevelt Mall, the street that runs alongside Tad Gormley Stadium.

Julia Bland, the museum's executive director, said the facility would focus on early childhood development and would include a parenting center run by Children's Hospital and a public library branch catering to children's needs.

Bland said the new museum would address one of the state's most pressing needs. "Forty-eight states do a better job of raising children than Louisiana," she said.

Louisiana Public Broadcasting President Beth Courtney said the preferred site for the proposed TV studio is on the south side of Roosevelt Mall, east of the stadium.

She said LPB officials are budgeting about $16 million to build the studio. The Tipitina's Foundation has agreed to be a partner in the project, which also would include a music museum for children's education.

A few speakers said neither the museum nor the studio could operate without substantial parking lots, which could destroy the ambiance along one of the park's premier boulevards.

"Roosevelt Mall is the perfect intersection of use and nature," Faye Prince said. "I can't imagine that you would want to turn it into a strip mall."

Robert Becker, the park's chief executive officer, emphasized that the ideas on the table did not come from his staff or the City Park Improvement Association. "These are proposals made to the park board," Becker said. "These are not park proposals."

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