The "Summer of Super Bowl" has begun in New Orleans as Governor Jeff Landry, Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and a host of other prominent city and state politicians addressed upcoming plans for substantial infrastructure projects as Super Bowl LIX draws ever closer.

The various political figures were joined by the Super Bowl Host Committee, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, Saints Owner Gayle Benson and team executives to discuss the plans for these projects set to be undertaken as preparations continue for the record-tying 11th Super Bowl hosted in New Orleans.

Landry said New Orleans is "a tide that lifts all boats in this state" and wants to use the Super Bowl as a "launching pad" for lasting improvements for the city and state.

Chief among the proposals to help raise that tide is the focus on infrastructure improvements in the leadup to the game. In addition to being the "Summer of Super Bowl" as Cantrell had named it, Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., who Landry appointed to coordinate with the state and city on these projects, dubbed the season as the "summer of Infrastructure."

Hecht said there are plans for 522 infrastructure projects that will get under way in advance of the Super Bowl. The range of the projects identified were as complex as relighting the Crescent City Connection with programmable lights and installing high-speed 5G cell towers downtown to as simple as fixing sidewalks and re-striping roads and everything in between. Not all of the planned projects are exclusively practical as part of the planning is beautification projects including murals and increased green space.

Hecht said the projects will "benefit residents for years and years and years to come," and said the projects have already begun like road work on Poydras Street right on the doorsteps of the Caesars Superdome as one example.

Hecht said that the Super Bowl is an unmatched opportunity and responsibility to improve and showcase New Orleans and Louisiana.

"With this extraordinary group of partners that we have here today, we're going to make the critical infrastructure improvements," Hecht said. "We're going to make the compelling economic development programs to show a new New Orleans and Louisiana that are world class, one of a kind and uniquely powerfully attractive to both visitors and businesses. And that is how New Orleans and Louisiana are going to win Super Bowl 59."

With this Super Bowl, New Orleans once again will tie Miami for the record of hosting the game in the city with 11 Super Bowls, with the upcoming game being the eighth held in the Caesars Superdome, the building Cantrell called "a gift that keeps on giving." Peter O'Reilly, executive vice president of club business, international and league events for the NFL, indicated that it is not accidental that the NFL keeps returning to New Orleans to host the event.

"There's something incredibly special about this city that you all know and live every day, the vibrancy, the culture, the people, the diversity," O'Reilly said. "This is a tremendous Super Bowl community for very practical reasons because of how compact it is, but most importantly of how it comes together and creates something incredibly special. That's why we're back here."

The planning for this has brought together a diverse coalition of partners, creating partnerships between public, private and non-profit entities and resulting in collaboration from a wide variety of individuals.

"Even though we may come from different political backgrounds and different parts of the state, we're all in this together," Landry said. "And that putting on this event is not only great for the city in New Orleans, it is great for the state of Louisiana."

Cantrell said that the work being accomplished is a testament to the partnerships that have been forged.

"It's truly a symbol that we are stronger together," Cantrell said.

Saints President Dennis Lauscha said the team and NFL feel they can serve as a "unifier."

"We're seeing everyone coming together, recognizing how important the Super Bowl is for our city, recognizing how important it is for our state, and really trying to expand that economic impact as far as we can," Lauscha said. "We have an unbelievable opportunity that happens about once a decade and we need to be able to take advantage of that as best we can and as you can see from the folks who are up there on the dais today. That's exactly what we're doing."

Aside from all the infrastructure and economic development work, there will be a game played on Feb. 9, 2025, as O'Reilly reminded everyone. Once the time comes, Landy told O'Reilly what victors can expect when they come for the game.

"While hospitality may have been invented in the South, we are going to show you that it was perfected in Louisiana," Landry said.