Squandered Heritage

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
June 8th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Proposal for demolition. Chris Robinson, owner. Housing Unit Demolition Task Force, applicant. This is a very historic structure by design and location. The owner is applying for a free FEMA demolition but this damage is due to years of neglect.

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Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
June 8th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Proposal for demolition. Douglas George, owner. Housing Unit Demolition Task Force, applicant.

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Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
June 8th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Proposal for demolition. Teddie & Trina Griffin, owners/applicants.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
June 8th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

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Proposal for demolition. St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church, owner. Housing Unit Demolition Task Force, applicant.

HISTORIC DISTRICT LANDMARKS COMMISSION
9:30 A.M., JUNE 8
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
1300 PERDIDO ST.

Preliminary Citation of Demolition by Neglect

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HDLC

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
May 11th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

RESULT: Approved

Joseph Tolliver, owner, represented by the Housing Unit Demolition Task Force. Right now, we are in the vortex of the demolition process we could see coming 6 months ago.

It could be an Imminent Danger declaration at the City level that brings this to the agenda or a FEMA demolition. Because of the timing, I think it’s a FEMA list, voluntary application, for a taxpayer sponsored demolition. In the minds of the owners, these are FREE demolitions. There is no free demolition. The taxpayers pay or a lien is put on the remaining vacant lot.

Even though this building has been altered in design from it’s original contributing status as an architecturally important structure, at one point it was contributing. Regardless of the provenance of demolition, there will be a lingering and unrecompensable cost to our city’s architectural heritage that is lost forever. The Imminent Danger properties listed by the city as part of their code enforcement program are just now going coming to the point where they will actually be demolished.

Nevertheless, this demolition is not due to Katrina. It’s due to neglect. It’s a lack of responsibility on the part of the owners to maintain or sell the property, and also many years of complete lack of real code enforcement in New Orleans.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
January 12th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Formal Citation for Demolition By Neglect

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The owner of this house is an elderly man who also owns 819 N. Robertson which is also being cited for demolition by neglect. He was missing some fingers. He asked me when he was supposed to go to the meeting. This is a shame, such a great house on a street that needs all the renovations it can get as the housing stock has been very hard hit by neglect and city projects over many many years in historic Treme.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
January 12th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Format Citation for Demolition By Neglect

Take a valium before you view more pictures of this owner’s neglect.

This owner also owns the propert next door which he has left to blight and lives behind this house:
French Quarter Renovations
2706 Royal St

Is the man who owns this just trying to make a gigantic backyard out of these rather than renovate? If the city won’t approve demolitions requests, they sometimes just allow them to blight until they get demolition by neglect. The property might also be taken away from them so they cannot play the system in this manner. This was a gorgeous home in a prime location.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
January 12th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Format Citation for Demolition By Neglect

This bar, the Red Room at Esplanade and Claiborne, is becoming a nuisance for the police/residents lately. They need their liquor license yanked. This doesn’t have anything to do with the HDLC’s citation. I’m just sayin . . . Click here for more photos.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
January 12th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Format Citation for Demolition By Neglect

Click to see, well, not much to see. Sorry.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
January 12th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Format Citation for Demolition By Neglect

Click to see more reasons the neighbors are angry.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
January 12th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Format Citation for Demolition By Neglect

Click for More Horrors

This owner lives in a very nicely maintained home around the corner. He owns a business called:
French Quarter Renovations
2706 Royal St
Purchased in 2002 for 102 k according to the assessor’s records.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
January 12th, 2007
City Council Chambers 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Formal Citation of Demolition by Neglect.

Click for more photos.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
December 15th, 2006
Council Chambers, 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Result: Application for Demolition. This application beings the standard, 30-day, layover.

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Owner, Jonathan G. Clague proposes to demolish this modest shotgun and build a new residence. He owns the lot next to this building which is becoming a small junkyard.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
December 15th, 2006
Council Chambers, 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Result: Step One: Formal Citation Issued, Demolition By Neglect

The facade of this two-story reveals the stitches of what used to be the original, full length, windows. Probably a balcony too. The building has been stripped of most of the original architectural charm, remodeled inside with suspended ceilings and neglected. The city assessor’s website doesn’t contain any information on this address. I will update this post after my next visit to City Hall.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
December 15th, 2006
Council Chambers, 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Result: Deferred for further inspection

The owner of this property is Nguoi Dong Loai, the applicant for the demolition is New Orleans Demolitions. This home is structurally unsound. The owner walked away years ago. The property is under contract and it is unclear what their intention is for the property. The HDLC voted to defer this demolition to get a better assessment and to find out the intention of the owner and outlines of the contract for the sale of the property. It was hard to get a photo of the facade because of the two grand palms in front which would be great if they just had a haircut. This building was very scary to inspect. I heard the voice of Willie White in my head the whole time.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting Agenda
December 15th, 2006
Council Chambers, 9:30 a.m.
City Hall

Result: Approved

Click to see more photos of this house and the neighboring Creole Cottage

This creole cottage is located in greater Treme, near the overpass that interrupts this very historic street. Creole cottages in this area date around the 1850’s. Today, it is in very poor condition, and is structurally unsound due to neglect. Owner Neil Morris owns Redmellon Development Co. and is planning to use Go Zone money to build a new structure and promises to work closely with the HDLC to build something that conforms to the appropriate style. Something to note, this house lacks the dormers which date some creole cottages to the 1830’s.

Historic District Review Commission (HDLC)
Friday, Dec. 15th 9:30 a.m.
City Council Chambers

Result: Approved

The applicant for this demolition is Gladys Marigny, a reputable contractor, who has done a number of renovations in Treme and part of small group of people trying to renovate all the properties on this block/corner of Ursulines and N. Robertson, where Joe’s Cozy Corner operated. The owner, George Reiras plans to rebuild according to the approved plans. To see the set of photos of his property follow this link: 1619 Ursulines Ave.

Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting
November 8, 2006
9:30 a.m.
City Hall, Council Chambers
Applicant: Housing Unit Demolition Task Force, City Attorney’s Office

Result: Unknown

Owner, Edna Williams, has applied for demolition of this modest single shotgun which is structurally sound. The only things wrong with this house pertain to the elements which are out of scale with the original construction. It is difficult to justify the demolition of this house so the Preservation Resource Center is actively seeking buyers for this house as an alternative to demolition. The windows are out of scale due to a fairly recent remodel. If you click on the photo you can compare this ‘remuddle’ to the house next door at 1235 Louisa which still retains it’s original windows and siding. The awning is also inconsistent. This is why the role of the HDLC is important. The remuddled elements have devalued this home but if the owners had been required to preserve the original elements, it would be more attractive to buyers.