Some of the last historic pockets of New Orleans that had yet to gain Cultural Products District status from the state became the “Carrollton Hollygrove Cultural District” on July 1.
The designation, which comes from Louisiana’s Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, is the 23rd cultural district in New Orleans.
The effort was spearheaded by PRC’s Operation Comeback and Advocacy departments in partnership with the office of District “A” Councilmember Susan Guidry. Staffers with Guidry’s office contacted PRC in 2016 to help establish a new cultural district incorporating some remaining undesignated portions of District A into the collection of New Orleans’ cultural product overlays. Through the creation of the Carrollton Hollygrove Cultural District, several vital and unique neighborhoods will now have access to some cultural development and preservation incentives from which adjacent communities already benefit.
A cultural district designation, and the incentives it provides, can help to spur economic development and revitalization guided by a community’s own unique sense of place and cultural identity. These districts are typically well recognized and well traveled because of their distinctive cultural identity, seen through their artistic heritage and their historic structures. They often surround historic commercial corridors. The Cultural Products District program is designed to stimulate the production of local art and cultural activity, and to incentivize the rehabilitation of historic structures. The two incentives that are used to fulfill these goals include a local and state sales tax reduction on the purchases of original, one-of-a-kind pieces of art, and eligibility for property owners to use state historic tax credits for building rehabilitation.
The Carrollton Hollygrove Cultural District will engage community stakeholders in activities designed to support the existing artistic endeavors and cultural production within its boundaries while incentivizing the creation of new opportunities. This involves capitalizing on a strong network of existing cultural leaders, emerging artists and facilitators, and culture-supporting businesses. Through the education about, and utilization of, these newly available tax incentives, the Carrollton Hollygrove Cultural District will serve to connect artists and culture bearers with the existing and future outlets that will encourage continued exposure. In tandem with supporting artistic expression, the Carrollton Hollygrove Cultural District will promote sustainable reuse of historic structures to maintain a strong physical sense of place in this community. By advocating for the use of historic rehabilitation tax credits, which award commercial property owners 25 percent and homeowners 18.5 percent of their qualified rehabilitation costs back to them as tax credits, the district can assist in the revitalization of the more challenging historic inventory that, through rehabilitation or adaptive reuse, can better serve residents and potentially house new businesses.
Designed by architect E.A. Christy and currently owned by the International School of Louisiana
Youth oriented community center founded in 1967
Mid-20th century motel
Nursery with professional landscaping services and locally sourced home goods and crafts
Urban farm, local produce market and educational community garden space
Designed in 1923 by architects Favrot and Livaudais and functioning as a U.S. Post Office since the 1980s
Assisted adolescent living facility in operation since the 1920s
This unique combination of bowling alley, bar, eatery, and music venue has been a New Orleans staple for over two decades. It sits aside the classic Cajun & Creole restaurant in operation since the 1930s
Built in 1911 as a chewing gum factory and renovated in 2008 using federal historic rehabilitation tax credits for office space by the Landis Construction Company
A cultural staple in the community’s music, art and food scene and synonymous with the district’s local Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs
Offering classes in gymnastics and classic jazz, tap and ballet since 1965
Designed in 1927 by the first licensed African American architect in Louisiana, Ferdinand Lucien Rousseve, this movie theater was later used as a rehearsal hall for the New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
Built in stages from 1879-1915, this Carrollton plant yields about 135 million gallons of finished water to Orleans Parish every day
Beautifully landscaped greenspace that hosts the monthly Arts Market presented by the Arts Council of New Orleans, and home to a variety of festivals, concerts and film showings
Built in 1922, this Prairie Craftsman was home to a local attorney who advised defendant Clay Shaw on charges of conspiring to assassinate President John F. Kennedy
Hosts local events, outreach efforts, community artist gallery and Stella’s coffee shop
The area has several quintessential neighborhood grocery stores that offer prepared foods
Constructed in 1955 with rehabilitation plans for the new Lycée Français campus and current site of the Marche D’Hiver Festival
Social Aid and Pleasure Club parade throughout the Carrollton and Hollygrove neighborhoods
Local artist specializing in hand-crafted leather and sculptural pieces
Houses the streetcars of the historic St. Charles line and home to the annual Twelfth Night celebration of the Phunny Phorty Phellows
A beloved cluster of local eateries including Panchita’s, Lebanon’s Café, Bourrée and Boucherie
