NEW ORLEANS , May 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Kathleen Blanco , New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin and the Hyatt District Rebirth Advisory Board today announced plans to create a 20-acre performance arts park that is to beanchored by a new National Jazz Center. The plans were created by PritzkerPrize-winning architect Thom Mayne, and his firm, Morphosis, and also call for an outdoor auditorium, new city government buildings, a new civil courts building and major redevelopment of the Hyatt Regency site.

Laurence Geller, chief executive officer of Strategic Hotels & Resorts, the Hyatt Regency's owner, said the plans were created in consultation with an advisory board of leading New Orleans and international experts from fieldsincluding architecture and planning, the arts, economics and hospitality. Strategic Hotels & Resorts funded the Advisory Board's work.

Several buildings will be relocated to create a great lawn that stretches six city blocks, creating an open-air Jazz Park.

"The advisory board has created a bold plan that transforms the Hyatt area into a world-class urban area and destination. Rather than an under-utilized adjunct of disparate sports, hotel and city facilities, the Hyatt Jazz District will be a grand destination that provides the citizenry with an unmatched urban cultural experience," said Geller.

"We are especially grateful to both Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin for their vision and leadership. In fact, shortly after Hurricane Katrina, Mayor Nagin met with us to discuss the rebirth of this ravished area of the city and to consider the opportunity for a new City government complex. Today'sannouncement takes that vision to the next step. We thank both the Governor and the Mayor for their support of this unique public and private partnership," Geller said.