'Crackhouse' Protected As Historic Site
 

Link

------------------------------------------

Police Say Blighted Building Notorious For Drug Activity


NEW ORLEANS -- Police said drugs likely played a role in the Tuesday night murder of a New Orleans man found in a building notorious for drug activity.

The victim, whom police identified only as a man in his 20s, was shot and killed at about 10:30 p.m. He was found inside the blighted building at 1516 Laharpe street.

Police said the building is known as a gathering place for drug sellers and users.


Several officers who responded to the scene recognized the victim as someone they had previously arrested at that location.

Neighbors say the answer is to tear down the building, but the city is not supportive of that idea, according to WDSU NewsChannel 6 reporter Ken Jones.

The building is more than 50 years old, which qualifies it as a historic site, and is located in the historic district of Treme. The New Orleans Historic District Landmark Commission frowns on demolition of such buildings, usually recommending redevelopement instead, according to sources in that office.

But the building's owner said in this case, it's not possible to work around the drug activity and keep the addicts out. He said he has owned the property for five years, and for five years he says he has called police constantly to report drug trafficking and other violent crimes.

The owner said he can't sell the building because it was recently burned, and he can't tear it down because of its status as a historic site.
------------------------------------------

Sounds me like this guy has the worse of both worlds. The cops can't get of the crackheads and he can't get rid of the building...
Maybe is the city would provide some funding to restore this historic building things wouldn't be so bad? Thoughts anyone...

What am I missing here? Omaha (where I am) is notorius for demolishing historical landmark type buildings in order to make way for chrome and glass monstrosities. (something I am against btw) But is this building only 50 years old? My house is older than that and it certainly is no historical landmark (not <b>yet</b> anyway. ;) I am all for historical preservation, but this is a burned out hulk of a building that is a danger to the community in more ways than one. Its gotta go!

its his building, He can tear it down, If they wont let him they should buy it and take care of it. I'd burn the fucking thing down if I owned it. It can always be blamed on the crackheads, and I'm sure the nieghbors wouldn't tell if they saw him do it.

LA is the same way. But NYC isn't. Do some research on your place. Petition the government with letters and historical documents. It may increase the value of your property.

So demo the building, but be sure to invite the Commission members, so they can all come out and frown at you....

I'm not reading that it would actually be illegal to tear it down.
Just because it's 50+ years old doesn't necessarily mean it's 'historic,' does it?

thats what I am thinking. Lets leave old buildings as old buildings and historical buildings as historical and not confuse the two. A building could be 5 years old if something historical happened there it could be historical (could.. depends on what exactly happened) just the same a building could be a 500 year old farm house of no real historical value. That said I don't think tearing down the building and building a new one in its place will fix the crack problem.

hahahaha

sorry but it is kind of funny.

Cheech-"He man,remember that place,..you know man where we'd get really high,..like you know what I mean man"?

Chong--"Ya ha ha,..right man,..I think..Is that where...uh..what did you say?"

Cheech-- "That place man in New Orleans man...You know where we'd get high and say one day they'd turn it into a parking lot man..remember that man?"

Chong--"Oh yeah...........Hey remember that beaver...that one"..

Cheech--"No man..no beaver man...They can't tear the house down man....cuz people are smoking crack and the building is like...shit man..like heritage or something man"..

Chong--"Wow man...what's gonna happen the the...cough.. cough...beaver man..Huh...What"?