Plaza Tower (for a time dubbed Crescent City Towers and Crescent City Residences in a failed proposed redevelopment scheme) is a 45-story, skyscraper in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, designed in the modern style by Leonard R Spangenberg, Jr. & Associates. Located in the Central Business District (CBD), it is the third tallest building in both the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. The building has been unused since 2002 because of environmental problems such as toxic mold and asbestos.

History

Construction of the Plaza Tower began in 1964, as a project of developer Sam J. Recile, but halted in October 1966. The property was bought out and construction resumed in 1968, and completed in 1969. The Plaza Tower was the tallest building in New Orleans and Louisiana for four years until

One Shell Square Hancock Whitney Center, formerly One Shell Square, is a 51-story, skyscraper designed in the International style by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, located at 701 Poydras Street in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is ...

surpassed it by over . Along with the

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...

on the Mississippi riverfront, the Plaza Tower marked the beginning of modern high-rises in New Orleans. The building has always held a prominent place in the city's skyline, even after the 1970s building boom on along Canal Street and the 1980s boom along

Poydras Street Poydras Street (french: Rue Poydras) is a street that serves as the main artery of the New Orleans Central Business District, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The street is named for Julien de Lallande Poydras. Many of the city of New Orleans' and the st ...

. This is due to both its unique design, particularly its "crown top," and its location on the extreme edge of the CBD. The Plaza Tower was originally designed primarily as an office building with some residential space on the upper floors. Upon completion of the tower, very little residential space was made available. By 1984 the remaining residential apartments were made into offices. In 2001, tenants began to publicly criticize the building's owners for ignoring worsening conditions in the building. Claims were made that a lack of proper maintenance had led to exposure to asbestos and toxic mold. Several

class action lawsuits A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The class action ...

were filed by workers against the owners and managers and their own employers, the

Louisiana Department of Social Services Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

and

Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) (French: Département de La Santé de Louisiane) , formerly known as the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (French: Département de La Santé et des Hôpitaux) , is a state agency of Louisiana, h ...

. In 2002 approximately 700 Louisiana state and New Orleans District Attorney's Office employees relocated en masse to offices on Common Street. Since that time, the building has sat sealed off and unused.

Proposed rebirth as Crescent City Towers

For several years in the late 2000s a plan was in the news to redevelop Plaza Tower as residential space under the name "Crescent City Towers" or variations on that name. A plan claimed to begin by gutting the building down to its superstructure, both on the interior and exterior, required because of the building's history with asbestos, toxic mold and water leaks. The proposed new facade would feature a

neomodern Neomodern or neomodernist architecture is a reaction to the complexity of postmodern architecture and eclecticism in architecture, seeking greater simplicity. The architectural style, which is also referred to as New Modernism, is said to have le ...

look, making extensive use of glass and staggered balconies, to provide the units with views of the New Orleans skyline and the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

. Once complete, the building would have included amenities such as a gourmet restaurant, spa, fitness center, indoor pool and retail space. The renovation of an adjoining building containing a 350-space parking garage and several townhouse units was also planned. The redesign was originally proposed under the name Crescent City Residences. The architectural team behind the redesign was composed of Williams Architects of New Orleans and Marks Thomas Architects of Baltimore. Dorian M. Bennett Realtors Inc. had exclusive rights to sell the 350 units, with prices starting at $350,000. Unit sizes were determined, but prices were planned to be in the range of $450 per square foot, similar to prices in the

French Quarter The French Quarter, also known as the , is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans (french: La Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the ("Old Sq ...

, and about $100 per square foot higher than the nearby Warehouse District. In November 2005, Giannasca Development Group announced it had secured $24 million to start the redevelopment project. A construction timetable was being developed in light of delays and logistical issues since Hurricane Katrina, with estimates for an opening date in 2008. In spring 2006, modified plans were released reflecting changes aimed at addressing post-Katrina concerns. This redesign includes glass designed to withstand winds, a self-contained electrical generator, and an internal water supply, which developers say could make the building self-sufficient for three to four weeks. The external design was also changed to a cleaner glass and steel design, removing the needle point and multiedged surfaces of the original design. This new exterior was to consist of gold-tinted wall to wall glass and maroon steel. The price of the project increased from $100 million to $120 million while the number of units has been reduced from 350 to 197. These units were to run from starting at $450,000 to several units costing several million dollars. Three quarters of the units were to have only one bedroom. The project also saw a slight name change to the Crescent City Towers. In July 2007, the owners defaulted on the mortgage and the Plaza Towers was put on the auction block. Howard Acquisitions, LLC already held the mortgage on the building. Their winning bid protects their investment and gives them full control over the high-rise. The new owners, Plainfield Direct, are remaining tight-lipped about their plans for the building. On December 19, 2007, Plainfield Direct paid the City of New Orleans $608,000 in back taxes and announced plans to spend $10 million on environmental remediation. This work was set to begin immediately in the parking garage and building annex, work was to begin in the tower in early 2008. Following the remediation work, Plainfield was to partner with developers to put the building back into use. Such plans were not met with success. In July 2011, the still vacant building was announced to be up for auction with bids due by 20 September. Bryan Burns purchased the building for $650,000 at a private auction in December 2011, although the listed price was $15.5 million in 2010. In September 2014 the building was again sold, this time for an undisclosed amount to Alexandra Land and Development LLC.

Debris and fire

On May 20, 2021, a piece of the Plaza Tower fell from top of the building, injuring one person. This debris caused the closure of many major roads in New Orleans such as parts of Howard Avenue and Loyola Avenue. New Orleans officials and Jaeger stated that the property would receive new fencing and a net that would catch any more debris, were it to fall off of the building. More roads were subsequently added to the closure list. These closures will be in place until a new fence is put up around the building and when the area is deemed safe for pedestrians. The area around the Plaza Tower reopened on July 16 after netting was placed at the top of the building to catch any more debris, were it to fall from the building. In the early morning hours of January 10, 2022, a fire was reported in the Plaza Tower. Smoke was seen from the roof from flowing up through the elevator shafts. New Orleans Fire Department responded and put the flames out that same day.

Location

1001 Howard Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70113-2002 The Plaza are bounded by the following streets: * Howard Avenue (south) * Loyola Avenue (west) * Julia Street (north) * South Rampart Street (east)

References

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External links