138-Key Warehouse District Hotel Moves Toward Approval

By Eliza Theiss, Associate Editor

Baronne Street side of project site

New Orleans’ focus on preserving the city’s historic charm and original look can make development cumbersome at times, as proved by the recent opposition sparked by a proposed 178-key Cambria Suites in the historic Warehouse District. City officials can be resistant toward projects attempting to push imposed restrictions. But developer HW Real Estate Development Corp. seems to be maneuvering well through the city’s requirements. According to a report by Canal Street Beat, the Chicago-based company, planning to develop a 138-room hotel on the corner of Julia and Baronne streets, has received the Historic District Landmark Commission (HDLC) Architectural Review Committee’s approval without objections and is moving forward for HDLC approval before going before the city council.

Julia Street side of project site

Located on a 26,000-square-foot L-shaped tract, the hotel will have a three- and four-story frontage on Julia Street, a five-story portion facing Carondelet Street and a six-story component facing Baronne Street. The site, owned by Kenner resident Susan Swanner, currently holds a vacant lot and a parking shed, which will require demolition along with a two-story structure on an adjacent lot, according to papers filed with HDLC and available through Nola One Stop App.

The 81,096-square-foot hotel will include a bar and a 2,400-square-foot restaurant. Rooftop amenities such as a pool and spa are being considered, while a 10-foot area on Julia Street will be landscaped into an open-air green space. The hotel’s 138 keys, 39 of which will be suites, will be spread on floors two through five, while level six will house a rooftop penthouse. Level one will have a portion of parking and some of the yet-to-be-announced amenities.  Although the developer requested five of its required 46 parking spaces to be waived, the HDLC Architectural Review Committee denied the request, reported the Miami Herald.

The developer has not yet decided on a flag but is targeting a high-end sustainable hotel with LEED certification and will choose its operator accordingly. Eskew+Dumez+Ripple is the project’s architect.

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Image via Nola One Stop App