4100 Royal St.

Description:  Review and comment only for the changes to the previously reviewed new construction of four-story multifamily building for 82 apartments and leasing office on a vacant lot. 

Staff Recommendation: 

Below, there are three versions we have reviewed of this project. The first, from February 2019, is the one that was reviewed and received a favorable recommendation by the ARC and Commission. The massing of the main building was articulated with changes in materials, balconies, etc. and the “townhouse” forms. This responded well to the Bywater neighborhood. The version, from July 2022, was greatly reduced in scale but retained the articulation and “townhouses”. HDLC staff agreed that the smaller footprint was a better choice, and the aesthetic and massing treatment still were in the spirit of the previous reviews and approvals. Therefore, staff made the decision that there was no need for additional review by the ARC or Commission. The current version, from October 2024, which, shows a further reduction in scale, does not carry the same attention to massing, materials or context as the previous versions. The “townhouses”, in fact, have been completely removed from the proposal. As staff does not find this to be a mere modification of the previous proposal, nor does it respond to the spirit of the previous ARC and Commission recommendations, it is staffs position that the updated proposal needed to return to the Commission for another review.

Previous ARC & Commission Comments:

05/08/19 Commission: 

• At that time the Commission made the recommendation that the applicant work with the HDLC staff throughout the development and detailing of the project and that the recommendations of the ARC be applied to the design.

04/23/19 ARC:

• The relocation/removal of the 5th floor units helps make the building more contextual, however the ARC agreed that the density of  mass at the Chartres St. and Mazant St. elevations still overwhelms the context. 

• The ARC suggested modifying the "C" shaped plan to create an "E" shaped plan, relocating some of the mass to the interior of the site. 

• Adding complexity to the massing will help reduce its apparent scale. 

• There appears to be a misuse of many traditional New Orleans architectural treatments and details. A closer study of building types and adherence to appropriate architectural styles would be beneficial. 

• The galleries should not have handrails at the ground floor level, the corner posts should be removed, and the outside edge posts should be relocated to the edge of the structure above. 

• The small two story portion with the street facing pitched roof is awkward and should be redesigned to match a more successful version elsewhere on the project. 

• Windows with a horizontal orientation should be redesigned such that they are vertically oriented throughout. 

03/13/19 Commission:

• Defer action on this application until the April 10th, 2019 New Orleans HDLC Hearing as requested by the applicant so that the project can work with the HDLC Architectural Review Committee during design development.

02/19/19 ARC: 

• This iteration shows an improved distribution of massing over the site from the previous submission. 

• The two-story portions of the building are very successful in relating to the context of the immediate neighborhood.

• The 5-story portions of the building are starkly non-contextual relative to the modest one and two story residential buildings across the street. 

• Within the building design itself, the juxtaposition of the 5-story to two-story portions of the building are too abrupt. A more gradual increase in height could be utilized by adding a three story portion at this location and possibly eliminating or setting back portions of the 5th floor. 

• Eliminate vertical fins adjacent to the cottage inspired portions of the design. 

• The ARC agreed that the scale and density of the building is still fundamentally not contextual and does not recognize any way to mitigate that given the required number of units to be incorporated into the design. 

11/27/18 ARC:

• The building is fundamentally not contextual.

• The building lacks a connection to the street.  Consider revising the design to include units with direct street access.

• The development utilizes an obsolete typology that has been proven to foster neighborhood social problems.  Not only are big housing projects noxious environments for their tenants, they radiate dysfunction, blight their surrounding neighborhoods and prevents their revitalization.

• The courtyard is not functional as such; a majority of the space open to the elements is programmed as a parking lot and could not be used as a community amenity.

• A solid bar building could be utilized at the Chartres St side of the site, but smaller individual single and multi-family residential buildings should be used throughout the remaining space in order to blend and fit within the neighborhood.

• The ARC agreed that it would deny the proposal if it were under the jurisdiction of the HDLC as it does not reflect or utilize any of the guidelines for new construction.

Context Photos:

Current Drawings:

Previously Reviewed Drawings - 04/23/19:

Previously Reviewed Drawings - 02/19/19:

Previously Reviewed Drawings - 11/27/18:

Project Timeline:

Street View: