Last month the city council approved plans for a Cuban restaurant to occupy a vacant gas station on the corner of Rampart and Esplanade. The development has been controversial from the get-go, as some neighborhood residents contend that the restaurant will bring unwanted traffic and noise to the quiet end of the French Quarter.
The Listening Post wants to know what you think about preservation and development. How would you transform a vacant property in your neighborhood? To send us ideas and pictures text “hello” to 504-303-4348.
As for us, we’ve had our eye on a building in Central City, on the corner of Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Our original thought was to form a vaguely defined consortium of rogue intellectuals known collectively as “Federico,” with this space as the headquarters. But it turns out that this building is not vacant! Something is housed there, though not even Google can clarify exactly what it is.
So we looked across Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard and found a genuinely blighted property.
What to do with this commercial/residential combo? It’s not the right place for our rogue intellectual collective, as it lacks the mystique of “Federico”. But it might do nicely as a day care or a produce stand.
Yes, let’s go with frutería. These small corner stores that sell only fresh fruits and vegetables are extremely common in other parts of the world, but rarely seen in the United States.
Let’s start the trend here and now: from blight to blueberries. We would turn this vacant spot into a fresh produce store.
Your responses:
"Restaurant / grocery combo featuring natural foods and wines/ and some upscale local beers, no gum, no cheepie gmo greasy unhealthy chips and no cigarettes. And a small sit down area with light daytime foods like wraps, veggies salads, saucy local plate lunches, at least two kinds of beans every day" "I would open a tool lending library so the general public could start constructing off the grid tree houses..." "Not a proper business, but a community gathering spot with shared tools, lawn equip., and info. On city projects and resources." "HOLY CROSS SCHOOL , AS A MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM!!! And retreat, and showcase for local culture and history, it would attract visitors from all over world wide they could rent rooms there and they could even have carriage rides too!! Instead of the ugly modern buildings they want to put in ! NOBODY COMES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO SER MORE UGLY MODERN ARCHITECTURE, PEOPLE COME TO SEE OLD COOL HISTORICAL BUILDINGS , WE DON'T NEED ANYTHING TO BLOCK THAT BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE RIVER!! People come here to see the river!!#!#" "A green space" "Restaurant!" "I would open a child care centre" “I would turn one of the blighted properties into a drive in movie theater” “A Hip Hop venue” “An ice cream shop” “Well I think that is so ironic that you ask that because I had a vision to turn the vacant lots on both sides of me into a place for children to be able to get a meal, do their homework play and be assisted by an loving responsible adult to c that get home safely. I know that this will keep them out of trouble and out of jail.” “A low key dive bar” “I would turn vacant lots into neighborhood gardens/farms, and buildings into things that serve their neighborhoods: grocers, small arts spots for all ages, etc.” “If I were to open a Shop it would be back in FAT CITY were my Family worked and lived llll 30 year before they change the ordnance and shut the clubs down my family knew everyone my mom was the Bartender at THE SHIP’S WHEEL GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS we would love to go back and Flag shit a Shop with good ol FAT CITY LOGOS from the 70s 80s and 90s up to Now CREEPER WEAR is Fat City its where it was MADE ~ MADE ¡! FAT CITY ~ You Can’t Kill LEGEND” “Fresh produce market or dog friendly cafe” “New Orleans really needs fresh food alternatives to corner stores that offer viable options in terms of price, selection, etc. Community gardens are also an awesome use of vacant property.” “A Dog park pub similar to the Boneyard dog park and drinkery in Houston. A place for dogs and humans to socialize and play and have a few drinks” “Artist studios” “Cheap thai restaurant” “Community art/performance space”
Text “hello” to 504-303-4348 to share your ideas!