1001 Convention Center Blvd.

Description: New construction of a 1,050,000 SF, 28-story hotel building on a consolidated lot comprising adjacent vacant parcels and two (2) existing Contributing-rated warehouse structures approved previously for demolition to grade. 

HDLC Design Guidelines: 

Section 12, Pages 1-11 of the Guidelines for New Construction, Additions and Demolition, state that when new construction is compatible, it has a positive and revitalizing impact on a neighborhood and the city as a whole. Compatible new construction can preserve the neighborhood by enhancing the historic, architectural, and cultural features of a historic property. In many cases, the most successful new buildings are those that are clearly contemporary designs but compatible with the character of neighboring properties. Building designers are encouraged to consider New Orleans’ unique and wide range of existing historic building types, styles, and detailing. When reviewing new construction, the HDLC requires: 

• The preservation of the cohesive ambiance of the local Historic District through compatible, sympathetic construction.

• Compatible siting, proportion, scale, form, materials, fenestration, roof configuration, details and finishes.

• Maintaining the appropriate historic contextual setting within the surrounding neighborhood.

• Use of materials and techniques that are compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

Staff Recommendations: 

The proposed new construction is a large-scale development consisting of a hotel tower rising above a multi-story podium, with an overall building height of approximately 345 feet. As shown in the submitted elevations and renderings, the proposal imposes a high-rise tower with an expansive podium footprint that substantially exceeds the height and massing typical of the surrounding Warehouse District context, establishing a dominant presence along the streetscape and within surrounding historic view corridors.

While the HDLC encourages contemporary design that is responsive to its historic context, new construction must remain compatible in terms of scale, massing, proportions, materials, and overall relationship to adjacent buildings. In this case, the proposed building does not meet the HDLC Design Guidelines for new construction, as its height, bulk, and composition do not reflect or relate to the established character, rhythm, or tout ensemble of the surrounding historic district. The tower significantly exceeds the prevailing low- to mid-rise scale of the Warehouse District and appears visually overwhelming, without maintaining the height-to-width proportions of adjacent structures. The building footprint spans multiple parcels and two mapped streets and is not broken down into smaller volumes, disrupting the block structure and scale of the surrounding streets. While the podium base provides some transition to the pedestrian scale, it does not sufficiently mitigate the overall massing or reflect the district’s established building forms. Additionally, the podium appears to incorporate references to historic building façades or remnants; however, these elements do not successfully help the building relate to its historic context. Rather, they risk creating an inauthentic or false sense of history, which is specifically discouraged by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and the HDLC Design Guidelines.

Additionally, the width and continuous massing of the podium and tower do not maintain the established rhythm or spacing of historic buildings, and the façade does not express the vertical bay divisions or incremental building widths characteristic of the surrounding context. While the podium incorporates punched openings, the overall façade composition, particularly at the tower, relies on large expanses of curtain wall glazing that do not correspond to typical window-to-wall ratios or fenestration patterns and does not present a cohesive three-part organization. The extensive use of glass curtain wall systems and contemporary cladding materials contrasts with the predominantly masonry character of the surrounding buildings and does not establish a compatible material palette.

Based on these factors, the proposed development is not compatible with the scale, massing, and character of the Warehouse District and does not meet the HDLC Design Guidelines for new construction. As such, Staff recommends that the Commission vote to recommend denial of the proposal.

Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends the Commission vote to recommend denial

Previous Commission Recommendations:

• 03/11/26: The Commission voted (review and comment only) to recommend approval of the requested demolition to grade of the existing Contributing-rated one- and two-story warehouse structures located on the consolidated redevelopment site.

Context Photos:

Current Drawings:

Street View:

Written Public Comment: