NEW ORLEANS — Ted’s Frostop is safe from demolition under the current proposal — but its long-term future remains uncertain.
RCR Claiborne Venture III LLC, the developer behind the proposed housing project at South Claiborne Avenue and Calhoun Street, has withdrawn its request to overturn the demolition denial they received from the Historic District Landmarks Commission in April 2026. The New Orleans City Council was scheduled to consider the appeal at their meeting on June 4.
The withdrawal means the HDLC’s April 8 decision to deny demolition remains in place, and the current effort to demolish the 1955 diner will not move forward.
It’s great news that this cultural landmark, a rare piece of eye-catching Googie-influenced architecture, will remain standing.
But this is not the end of the story.
The future of the building, the restaurant business and the larger development site remain uncertain.
District A Councilmember Aimee McCarron deferred the application as long as possible to allow for further discussions between her office, the developers and the neighbors, many of whom felt blindsided by the original announcement of the project in March 2025. The project was initially framed as additional student housing for Tulane University, but the university recently announced they were pausing their involvement in the development.
The public response was significant. On April 8, the HDLC unanimously denied the demolition application for Ted’s Frostop at 3100 Calhoun St. after nearly two hours of public comment and deliberation. The commission received 162 pages of testimony opposing the demolition and just two letters in support. A petition to save the building, organized by the neighborhood advocacy nonprofit Town of Carrollton Watch, has collected more than 3,000 signatures.
The developers own three additional lots on the block, including 6307-6309 S Miro St., 6309-6311 S. Claiborne Ave., and 6423 S. Claiborne Ave. At this time, we do not know how they plan to incorporate Frostop with its quirky, bright, beloved building into any new plans. For now, keeping the building is a step in the right direction.
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