The home at 4706 St. Charles Avenue. (photo via Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans)
The request by Jack Ryan to demolish a mansion on a lot he wants to buy at the corner of St. Charles and Valence for a new home drew the support of immediate neighbors, but not the St. Charles Avenue Association, and the Neighborhood Conservation District Committee was unable to successfully vote to either defer the project or allow the demolition, reports Karen Gadbois of The Lens.
The 125-year-old house, heavily modified in the early 1920s, is a “a one-of-a-kind piece of St. Charles Avenue history,” according to a brief article about it by the Preservation Resource Center. The PRC has also compiled a photo gallery of images from the home.
The final say on the demolition will be given to the City Council.
Nothing better than another vacant house sitting on St. Charles. I dont want to see it ripped down either. But, this is officially a blighted house. People would rather have a vacant house in disrepair then let someone build a big beautiful house on the avenue.
The problem is, they have owned it since 2008… apparently all you have to do in New Orleans is leave your house to rot for years so that all the neighbors have to deal with it; then when you’re ready to drop your millions on building something new (guess none of that could have gone to maintaining it for the sake of the house and the neighborhood in the meantime), everyone applauds you for cleaning up a mess that you created to begin with.
I won’t get into the debate about what is or is not blight – call it what you want. It is certainly not beyond repair.
I’m all for historical value but doesn’t the owner still have rights? In addition is he a member of an association that can impose themselves in his decision? Doesn’t say that here.
How truly sad that our culture is becoming increasingly one of appearance and convenience. We toss out the old and the worn because it’s no longer attractive, or because it takes effort to maintain. This elegant old home should be saved.