You see them every day on the Mississippi River, but now you’re about to see them in neighborhoods. Shipping containers are turning into popular building materials throughout the city and one local resident is taking the trend to new heights.
For Kicker Kalozdi, it’s all about trying something different.
“I’m not a hippie or anything, but it’s kind of cool to recycle old materials and turn it into a house,” Kalozdi said.
While some neighbors worry the shipping container house will change the historic neighborhood, residents who have lived in the area the longest say it is time for something new.
“I’ve been here a little over 30 years,” Vaughn Comeaux said. “We are excited and ready for this.”
Comeaux watches the shipping container construction project from across the street. She’s thrilled to see what was once an abandoned lot become a family home.
“This is something new. This is something new for all of us,” Comeaux said. “This is something that we’re waiting to see and we can’t wait for our new neighbors to come in.”
Other residents near Irish Channel fear new development is pushing longtime residents out. Kalozdi says he is conscious of the impact his creation will have on the neighborhood.
“I don’t want to be like that jerk moving in and gentrifying the neighborhood, and to some part, I guess I am,” Kalozdi said.
But Vaughn says the more the merrier.
“Come on in, this is New Orleans. We’re ready for you,” she said.