For the third time, a homeowner in the Carrollton Historic District is trying to demolish the 1894 residence at 7519 Hampson St., a single-family home that has been neglected for years but remains salvageable.
In April 2025, the Historic District Landmarks Commission denied a demolition application for the building, echoing the decision the HDLC made in 2019 when the same owner first applied for demolition after acquiring the property. The applicant is now appealing the commission’s most recent decision to the New Orleans City Council on May 8.
The property is in dire need of prompt attention. Though the HDLC inspection found that the building is structurally sound, its condition – vacant and unmaintained – is a nuisance and a hazard for neighbors. Several residents appeared at the HDLC meeting and spoke in favor of demolition, while the owner, who himself lives next door to the property, submitted numerous letters of support from other residents, most of which followed a template. Though fewer in numbers, several neighbors at the HDLC meeting also spoke in opposition to the demolition, including the neighbor on the other side of the property. The extensive engagement with this HDLC application is a testament to the surrounding community and their deeply valid concerns – no one wants to live near a neglected building.
But there is no good reason to demolish this house. Rehabilitating the property would alleviate concerns about its condition and be an enormous benefit to the entire neighborhood. In fact, the current owner submitted renovation plans for the property only a few months ago in late 2024, which the HDLC approved.
The threat of this appeal raises a slew of familiar questions: why would the city grant special privileges to an owner who has neglected a property for more than 5 years? Why do city regulations apply to some people, and not to others? How many other property owners will feel emboldened by this appeal to circumnavigate the rules and secure their own special exceptions for demolishing other historic buildings?
The PRC opposes this demolition and encourages the owner to revisit their HDLC-approved renovation plans from 2024. We encourage New Orleans City Councilman for District A, Joe Giarrusso, to deny this appeal. If you agree that historic buildings should not be demolished unnecessarily, send him an email at Joseph.Giarrusso@nola.gov.
