Sule Aygoren Carranza is managing editor of Real Estate Forum.

[IMGCAP(1)] NEW ORLEANS-In the aftermath of the devastating hurricanes of 2005, several real estate firms have traveled down to the Big Easy to help with the reconstruction effort. Among them is Domain Cos., a New York City-based development company that is currently working on three large-scale, mixed-use projects along Tulane 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. The pair had been looking at a potential deal in the area, but Katrina blew those plans off course. Yet after the hurricane, says Schwartz, "we had an opportunity to assist the city in its recovery by focusing on the core strength of our company, which is large-scale community development projects."

While a lot of major community development players around the country have chosen to focus on New Orleans' four massive, severely dilapidated public housing projects--the C.J. Peete, B.W. Cooper, St. Bernard, and Lafitte developments--Schwartz says Domain is the most active builder of mixed-use, mixed-income housing, with the largest pipeline on Tulane Avenue.