This month, city agencies will consider complete demolition requests for the following buildings located in historic neighborhoods around New Orleans. One of the buildings is a house that recently sold for more than $1 million. Below are profiles of the properties.
In local historic districts, the Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) may approve or deny a demolition request, but owners can appeal to the City Council. In other older neighborhoods, the City Council must act on recommendations of the Neighborhood Conservation District Advisory Committee (NCDAC).
Neighborhoods affected:
- Upper Audubon / Uptown Triangle
- Bouligny / Faubourg Marengo
- Maple Area / Central Carrollton
- Faugbourg St. John / Fairgrounds
- Central Business District
- Faubourg St. Roch
465 Audubon St. Map it!
When this cypress clad home sold for just over $1 million in 2018, the listing touted “leaded glass windows and doors, wide pine floors, cypress plank ceilings, wood burning fireplaces, cypress built in cabinetry and window seats,” according to the real estate website Zillow.com. Nevertheless, current owners have retained an architect and requested permission to demolish the existing 3,000-square-foot built in the early twentieth century, citing intent to preserve oak trees on the parcel.
This demolition request was slated for consideration by the Historic District Landmarks Commission on July 10 but will be rescheduled due to storm related closures of City Hall. Meetings typically take place on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. in the City Council chamber, 1300 Perdido Street. View HDLC agendas and archives here. Comments may be submitted in advance to trwilliams@nola.gov.
Photo: 465 Audubon St., Google Maps, 2018
7519 Hampson St. Map it!
With a wraparound porch, full height windows and millwork set in the gable, this Carrollton home appeared on maps between 1896 and 1909. A true “camelback” second story straddles the building. No doubt it has experienced wear and weathering, but a recent HDLC inspection found it to be in fair condition and structurally sound.
This demolition request was slated for consideration by the Historic District Landmarks Commission on July 10 but will be rescheduled due to storm related closures of City Hall. Meetings typically take place on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. in the City Council chamber, 1300 Perdido Street. View HDLC agendas and archives here. Comments may be submitted in advance to trwilliams@nola.gov.
Photo: 7519 Hampson St., PRC staff, 2019
1547 Leda Ct. Map it!
Despite a deferral request from the applicant, the HDLC voted 8-2 to deny a demolition permit for this Arts-and-Crafts home on June 5. A building inspection the day prior found the building in fair condition, despite recent flooding in the vicinity. The owner, however, opted to appeal that decision to City Council, citing an abnormal foundation design that is contributing to rot and termite damage as making rehabilitation cost prohibitive. The lot backs up to St. Louis Cemetery #3, and the large Italianate Luling Mansion stands a block away.
This demolition appeal will be heard by the City Council in the coming weeks; the meeting date was undetermined as of this writing. Comments may be submitted in advance to councilmembers. Click here for contact information. The property is located in District A.
Photo: 1547 Leda Ct., PRC staff, 2019
2139 Painters St. Map it!
At its meeting on July 1, the NCDAC voted 7-1 to recommend denial of a demolition request for this deteriorated double in St Roch. However, the City Council will have the final say at a future meeting. The owner’s application references a failed attempt to restore the building, which is now gutted and without windows, and plans to rebuild on the site. However, the City Council will have the final say at a future meeting. Click here for council members’ contact information. The property is located in District B.
Photo: 2139 Painters St.,Google Maps, 2016
309 Baronne St. Map it!
Altered and deteriorated, the former home of Labiche’s department store stands shabbily between its swanky new neighbor, the NOPSI Hotel restaurant Public Service, and the aptly named 10-floor Baronne Building (its own mammoth brackets now missing). Public Service occupies a lot that once also belonged to Labiche’s; it’s restrained neoclassical facade having been replaced with the present glass curtain wall years ago. Also at some point after Labiche’s relocated in the 1960s, 309 Baronne lost its classical scoring and cornice. The display windows were replaced with a trio of arched entries and large planting boxes installed below the windows above. A setback fourth story is scarcely visible from the street. View historic images of the building here and here via the Louisiana Digital Library and Historic New Orleans Collection.
Though located within the Lower Central Business District on the National Register of Historic Places, this stretch of Baronne is not within the local historic districts overseen by the CBD arm of the HDLC. This demolition permit request was scheduled to be heard by the Neighborhood Conservation District Advisory Committee on July 15 but will be rescheduled following storm related closures of City Hall. View NCDAC agendas and archives here. A final determination will be made by the City Council at a future meeting. Click here for council members’ contact information. The property is located in District B.
Photo: 309 Baronne St., PRC staff, 2019
For more information about these demolition requests and others, search by property address on the City’s One Stop Shop. If you live or work in the neighborhoods, consider submitting written comments or attending the relevant public hearing.
Earlier this year, we examined trends in property demolition around New Orleans and unpacked the processes by which demolition permits are granted or denied. The Preservation Resource Center holds that every reasonable alternative should be pursued before a structure deemed “contributing” to a neighborhood’s historic character is given the terminal diagnosis of demolition. Through renovator training courses and other educational offerings, we help property owners understand the ins and outs of a successful, historically sensitive renovation. If you would like to learn more about preservation policy or get involved, contact Nathan Lott at nlott@prcno.org
