“I don’t want to gut the VCC’s enforcement. I want to give them more tools,” said New Orleans District C City Council Member Freddie King, as he met with hundreds of constituents on Monday night during a Town Hall meeting hosted by the Preservation Resource Center and several preservation partners. At the meeting, Councilman King explained that he is delaying an ordinance that he had proposed that would have stopped for one year the prosecution of any building violation cited by the Vieux Carre Commission. “This ordinance as it’s written, you might as well rip it up,” King said.

“I don’t want to keep business standing still,” King continued, adding that he was hearing from businesses. But “that logjam is not the fault of the VCC; it’s a larger process.”

We are grateful to King for coming to the PRC to listen to the concerns of his constituents, and to everyone who showed up to learn more about the proposal and have their voices heard. We look forward to working with the council member on a path forward and remain committed to the protection of the French Quarter as a national treasure. Stay tuned for updates.