NEW ORLEANS — The announcement that the city was soliciting bids to take down the blighted and deteriorating Plaza Tower location on the edge of the city’s Central Business District is “disheartening and disappointing,” the building’s owner Joe Jaeger said in a statement Wednesday.
The city cited the nearly two decades of inactivity at the site that has, at times, closed city streets due to falling debris, in its statement that it was seeking proposals if the building has to come down.
“We have been responsive and proactive in addressing the city’s concerns and have provided solutions,” said Jaeger.
He contends his company has spent nearly $1.5 million to maintain the building “until it is sold and redeveloped.” He said it now has around the clock security and he says that they are working with a potential buyer.
Yet the public sees a hulking blight with occasional danger.
“We will continue to put pressure not only in fines, but also in working to bring the property down and preparation to demolish if we do have to do that,” Cantrell said last month.
The skyscraper has been problematic since it was abandoned in 2001 due to asbestos and toxic mold. In 2021, a cyclist was hurt when debris from the building fell on him.In April of this year, a fire broke out, and just hours later, a man fell from a window and died.
The property has changed hands over the years, but its current owner, Joe Jaeger, faces hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for violations and costs related to the building.
The City imposed over $180,000 in fines to recoup costs of barricades and lost revenue due to closed metered parking spaces and later imposed over $220,000 in fines for 11 guilty violations, which is the second largest fine the department has ever imposed due to a Code Enforcement matter; it is currently in litigation.
Jaeger said if the city moves forward to try to demolish the Plaza Towers, he will act to prevent that from happening. Presumably that would mean a legal battle.
Full statement from Joe Jaeger:
Yesterday's announcement by the city was disheartening and disappointing. We have been responsive and proactive in addressing the city’s concerns and have provided solutions addressing those concerns.
The Plaza Tower is an iconic part of the city skyline and we've recently spent over $1.5M to maintain the building in a safe and secure manner until it is sold and redeveloped.
We currently are providing around the clock security and have had an analysis by the city's premier structural engineer inspect and confirm it’s stability.
Cities across the country are working with property owners to spur downtown revitalizations, particularly of vacant and distressed buildings. It would be my hope that our city officials and community can come together to assist in the redevelopment of Plaza Tower and downtown New Orleans rather than pursue a demolition of this iconic, historic structure.
The property is currently under contract, and we are also working with 3 other interested parties for backup offers to have if the current buyer decides not to move forward with the purchase.
The process to finalize a decision to purchase a property for a redevelopment of this size takes time for the buyer to finalize their decision and takes patience by the sellers.
Hopefully the city leadership and it department heads understand that. As the city’s position becomes clearer, and they move toward an attempt to demolish the property , we will act accordingly to protect the property from that action being accomplished.