Perez Architects' controversial Holy Cross redevelopment plans, unpopular with a slew of Holy Cross residents and making city officials an indecisive bunch, is on the agenda (again) for Thursday's City Council meeting, this time with three brand new members on board to vote. The mixed-use proposal for the former site of the Holy Cross School in the Lower Ninth Ward has been deferred at the last two City Council meetings with no steering of the ship from the City Planning Commission or the Historic District Landmarks Commission.
At the center of neighborhood beefin' is the construction of two mid-rise riverfront residences, zoning changes, height waivers, and er, a Perez petition that may have falsified names and addresses. The pro-Perez side sees the plans as a much-needed bounce back that would get the economic development gears moving for the community. The other side thinks it's an out-of-touch, out-of-scale development for a historic neighborhood with low-rise houses. A surefire way to piss off a good amount of New Orleanians is to build something taller than they want, though, so as part of a "compromise plan" Team Perez scaled back the two riverfront condos from 75-feet to 60-feet-tall. They also nixed plans for 161 of the 284 residential units and decided not to take the development north of Royal Street. According to The Advocate, the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association isn't on board with the changes, noting that the local zoning rules cap the height at 40-feet.
· New council members prepared to vote on Holy Cross proposal [Advocate]
· Developer drops height of Holy Cross condos to allay neighbors' complaints [The Lens]
· Holy Cross residents claim developer's petition has fake names, addresses [WVUE]
· Holy Cross development coverage [Curbed NOLA]
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