What was once a vacant storefront on St. Claude Avenue in the Bywater neighborhood has been transformed into a vibrant community hub. The initiative, dubbed “Free & Roll,” combines a free store where residents can take or leave items with a roller‑skating rink that operates after dark. Founded by local artist Maya LeBlanc and volunteer collective The Reclaimers, the space offers skate lessons, pop‑up art shows, and a pantry stocked with donated food and clothing. “We wanted to create a place where generosity and fun intersect,” LeBlanc explained during the ribbon‑cutting ceremony. The project has attracted over 2,000 visitors in its first month and is being hailed as a model for adaptive reuse in cities grappling with vacant commercial properties.
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