8500 Spruce St.

Description: Demolition of 100% of the roof for construction of a second story addition at a Contributing rated, single-story commercial building. 

HDLC Guidelines:  

Section 12, Pages 23-24 of the Guidelines for New Construction, Additions and Demolition, state that the demolition of all or portions of historic resources within a local Historic District or Landmark site are considered drastic actions since they alter the character of the area. Once historic resources or buildings that contribute to the heritage of the community are destroyed, it is generally impossible to reproduce their design, texture, materials, details and their special character and interest in the neighborhood. As a result, the HDLC rarely considers the demolition of Significant or Contributing buildings or structures within a local Historic District or on a Landmark site to be an appropriate option.

Previous Commission Actions: 

09/04/23: Deferred to provide the applicant the opportunity to work with HDLC Staff to determine the best way to bring 8500 Spruce roof demolition plans into compliance with the HDLC Guidelines.

Staff Recommendations: 

This one-story wood-frame building, built in the corner store vernacular style, was constructed within the  period of significance for the district.  FEMA surveys estimate the structure's date of construction to be between 1920 and 1930, and a 1935 Times Picayune news article describes the building as a multi-room meat and vegetable market. Considering that the building is an example of New Orleans vernacular architecture, and one of the few historic commercial buildings within this residential area, Staff would recommend that any new additions allow the corner store appearance to remain as an indication of the building's history of use.  As the vernacular style is typically one-story, sometimes including a camelback addition, Staff would recommend that the proposed second story of the building be setback a depth of two rooms from the building's façade, per the Guidelines for second-story additions.  

After discussions with the applicant, they are not amenable to changing their proposal to comply with HDLC Guidelines and the proposal is the same as previously presented.

• Recommendation: Approval more than 50%  roof demolition to allow a camelback addition, provided that the camelback is set back two original rooms from the front wall or at least 24' from chamfered corner.   

Context Photos:

Proposed Drawings:

HDLC-Proposed Setback

Sanborn Map and News Article Description:

Street View: