05 Sep Top Permits issued in the New Orleans area, September 5, 2023

// Article originally appeared in New Orleans City Business on September 5, 2023

Permits were issued this week with regards to heating and cooling systems for the newly-built 16-story, 340-room hotel tower at 8 Canal Place, or, more colloquially, the new hotel at Caesars New Orleans. Conceived through a partnership between Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro and Meir Teper, Nobu’s first hotel iteration opened in 2013 at the Caesars Casino in Las Vegas. Both New Orleans and Atlantic City hospitality projects are the latest in the pipeline. In addition to the hotel, a Nobu restaurant has also been planned for the Caesars New Orleans redevelopment as well. Nobu restaurant is a high-end sushi concept, whose New York and Los Angeles presence bodes well for New Orleans’ emerging reconsideration nationally. In recent years, growing acquisitional costs and competition in other major U.S. cities has caused a number of major real estate developers and investors to look more deeply at the New Orleans market. Beyond Nobu, the Caesars redevelopment will reimagine the former Harrah’s Casino as a flagship location for the casino chain: celebrity-chef anchored restaurants, high-end retail, and aesthetic upgrades are also in the works. Given the preponderance of tourisms’ economic impact on New Orleans as a whole, the addition of Nobu, and the elegance and sophistication of its branding and customer base, will bring with it a new swathe of visitors unfamiliar, though interested in exploring, the charm and history of the city.

Both Xavier and Tulane Universities also were granted substantial permits, pertaining to major building renovations, investing heavily in student quality-of-life and facilities. St. Martin de Porres Residential Hall is due to undergo mechanical work after systemic failure – the dormitory, reserved for upper classmen, is directly visible from the Pontchartrain Expressway, as is much of Xavier’s campus – prior to its foundation in 1925 as a private university, Xavier’s roots, in actuality, run uptown. Recognizing the need for a Black preparatory school, Katherine Drexel, a Catholic nun, initially sought to found a Catholic institution for Black students in New Orleans. She purchased 5116 Magazine St., now the home of St. Katherine Drexel Preparatory school, in 1915. 5116 Magazine St. itself had first been home to Southern University – poor neighborhood sentiment toward educational facilities for Black New Orleanians led to Southern’s moving to Baton Rouge, as the site’s white neighbors petitioned for its relocation. Undeterred by the opposition toward Black education, and knowing her name was synonymous with establishing such a facility, Katherine’s real estate agent purchased the property, then transferred ownership into her name. The institution was opened as Francis Xavier Preparatory School, a nod both to her father’s birth name, as well as St. Xavier, prior to expanding further into higher education in 1925. In 1929, Drexel, again through an agent, purchased the large tract of land off Palmetto Street, which has served as home to Xavier University ever since. The only Black, Catholic historic university in the United States, Xavier’s resilience and growth is both exciting and important. The university has been recipient of large donations, in recent years, from MacKenzie Scott, in addition to the nation of Qatar, the latter of which enabled the expansion of Xavier’s pharmacology program.

Uptown, Tulane University’s campus-wide renovations continue – long overdue interior renovations, and a minor addition, for Richardson Memorial Hall is finally underway. Built in 1905, Richardson Memorial was actually constructed to house Tulane Medical College. Set on the main academic quad on St. Charles Avenue, the five-story brick edifice has been home to the Tulane School of Architecture since 1971. Interior demolition began in 2021, with the School of Architecture classrooms interspersed into temporary quarters on the Newcomb quad, NOCHI, and other open space on Tulane’s Uptown campus. Tulane’s architectural program itself is one of the oldest in the United States, dating back to the late 1800s, by way of a degree in architectural engineering; a four-year program specific to architecture soon followed in 1907, 1912 seeing the incidence of an independent School of Architecture, whose course and degree offerings, as well as community involvement, have continued to evolve over the years. The occurrence of Hurricane Katrina in particular lead to the creation of Tulane’s URBANbuild program, wherein fourth-year students are directly responsible for the design and implementation of prototype housing throughout the city. The School of Architecture’s deep integration into the City of New Orleans has seen itself manifested not only by way of a high incidence of graduate-run and founded practices, but the utilization of best-practices with regards to historic preservation and conservation. Spearheaded by Trapolin-Peer, the former himself a graduate of Tulane’s Architecture program, the renovation of Richardson Memorial promises to be one evocative of both its original design and contemporary practice. New to the site will be an expansive fabrication laboratory; the further influence of Tulane School of Architecture on the city as a whole promises to be of interest as the program itself continues to offer the latest in the way of technology and resources.

Commentary courtesy Elizabeth Novit, associate – retail sales and leasing. She can be reached at enovit@elifinrealty.com or 847-370-1362.

Permits:

Orleans Parish

TOP COMMERCIAL PERMITS

• $49.9 million, 27 McAlister Dr, Audubon, Two new dormitory projects, Broadmoor LLC
• $24.8 million, 160 Engineering Rd, Audubon, Renovation of historic Richardson Memorial Hall, Broadmoor LLC
• $19.5 million, 8 Canal St, Central Business District, Hotel expansion newly built 16-floor 340-room, August R Gallo, Jr.
• $8.9 million, 1001 S Norman C Francis Pkwy, Gert Town, Mechanical repairs and equipment replacement, Gibbs Construction
• $3.7 million, 2 Poydras St, Central Business District, Interior guestroom and corridor renovations, Finish Line LLC

TOP RESIDENTIAL PERMITS

• $781,000, 5938 General Diaz St, Lakeview, Construction of a new single family residence with attached garage, Ferran Hardie Homes Inc
• $580,921, 914-916 Foucher St, East Riverside, Partial demo New Camelback addition Renovation of front apartment, Ducar Construction LLC
• $451,853, 2013-2015 Sere St, Dillard, New two-family dwelling, Robin Bouie Williams
• $420,000, 18 Arbor Ln, New Aurora – English Turn, Completely wire new residence, Brian J Trosclair
• $400,000, 2000 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, Central City, Single Family Residence to be used as a Commercial Short Term Rental

Jefferson Parish

TOP COMMERCIAL PERMITS

• $2.84 million, 1963 Barataria Blvd, Marrero, Commercial Tenant Buildout, Ryan Gootee General Contractors LLC
• $2.81 million, 4200 Houma Blvd, Metairie, Commercial Remodeling/Renovations, Clement Building Company LLC
• $1.21 million, 3700 Cleary Ave, Metairie, Commercial Remodeling/Renovations, Roof Technologies INC
• $501,000, 4720 S I-10 Service, Metairie, Commercial Remodeling/Renovations, Scott Mouledous Construction INC
• $376,814, 8001 Airline Dr, Metairie, Commercial Remodeling/Renovations, D&A Metal Works LLC

TOP RESIDENTIAL PERMITS

• $700,000, 512 Green Acres Rd, Metairie, Residential New Single Family Residence, King Construction Services LLC
• $655,000, 1509 Ocean Dr, Metairie, Residential New Single Family Residence, Premier Construction Residential & Commercial LLC
• $600,000, 1812 Severn Ave, Metairie, Residential New Single Family Residence, Mark J. Laborde & Co INC
• $565,000, 328 Arlington Dr, Metairie, Residential New Single Family Residence, KC Property Investments LLC
• $450,000,  5912 Marcie St, Metairie, Residential New Single Family Residence, Digiovanni Construction Co LLC

St. Tammany Parish

TOP COMMERCIAL PERMITS

• $3.3 million, 68360 Commercial Way S, Mandeville, New construction, Kent Design Build
• $1.3 million, 317 Hwy 1077, Madisonville, Site work permit, LA Contracting Enterprise LLC
• $500,000, 50 Park Place Dr Ste 100, Covington, Remodel, Martik Brothers
• $360,000, 1776 Ox Bow Lane, New construction, Lamulle Construction
• $287,000, 24640 Hwy 40, Bush, Cell tower

TOP RESIDENTIAL PERMITS

• $640,000, 5032 Twin River Pl, Covington, Single Family, DLK Homes
• $600,000, 85280 Hwy 25, Folsom, Single Family, Pat McCormick Homes
• $520,000, 757 Grey Heron Lane, Madisonville, Single Family, Nest Custom Homes
• $510,000, 224 Myrtle Grove Court, Madisonville, Single Family, DLK Homes
• $500,000, 603 Night Heron Lane, Madisonville, Single Family, Ron Lee Enterprises

Permit data courtesy ELIFIN, which can be reached at 800-895-9329.