Sule Aygoren Carranzais managing editor ofRealEstate Forum.

[IMGCAP(1)] NEW ORLEANS-In the aftermath of the devastatinghurricanes of 2005, several real estate firms have traveled down tothe Big Easy to help with the reconstruction effort. Among them isDomain Cos., a New York City-based development company that iscurrently working on three large-scale, mixed-use projects alongTulane Avenue, as well as several smaller ones in the vicinity.

The company's principals, Matt Schwartz and Chris Papamichael,are not new to the city--both are alumni of Tulane University. Thepair had been looking at a potential deal in the area, but Katrinablew those plans off course. Yet after the hurricane, saysSchwartz, "we had an opportunity to assist the city in its recoveryby focusing on the core strength of our company, which islarge-scale community development projects."