Preservation Alliance for Greater New Orleans

Preservation Alliance for Greater New Orleans
Name	Preservation Alliance for Greater New Orleans
Founded	1980
Headquarters	New Orleans, Louisiana
Region served	Greater New Orleans
Focus	Historic preservation

Preservation Alliance for Greater New Orleans

The Preservation Alliance for Greater New Orleans is a nonprofit preservation advocacy organization based in New Orleans, focused on protecting historic architecture, cultural landscapes, and built heritage across the Greater New Orleans region. It operates within a field shared by institutions such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Louisiana Landmarks Society, and the Historic New Orleans Collection, and engages with municipal actors including the New Orleans City Council and agencies like the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The organization interacts with preservation legislation such as the National Historic Preservation Act, coordination with the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation, and partnerships with cultural institutions including Tulane University, Xavier University of Louisiana, and the University of New Orleans.

History

Founded in 1980 during a national expansion of preservation efforts following the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and amid local debates over urban renewal and development in the French Quarter, the organization emerged alongside groups such as the Vieux Carré Commission and the Historic District Landmarks Commission (New Orleans). Early efforts addressed threats to antebellum architecture, Victorian-era residences, and Creole cottages across neighborhoods including Garden District, Treme, and Bywater. The Alliance's history intersects with major events such as Hurricane Katrina (2005), when it mobilized to document damage in neighborhoods like Lower Ninth Ward and Marigny, and worked with recovery efforts connected to Federal Emergency Management Agency programs and the Road Home Program.

Mission and Programs

The organization's stated mission emphasizes conserving historic structures, promoting heritage tourism, and advancing equitable reuse in collaboration with partners such as the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission and the Louisiana Landmarks Society. Programs have included advocacy for designation on the National Register of Historic Places, technical assistance for property owners, and outreach linking preservation to cultural tourism in areas like Frenchmen Street and Jackson Square. Educational initiatives have partnered with entities like the New Orleans Public Library, the Louisiana State Museum, and arts organizations such as the New Orleans Museum of Art and Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans.

Preservation Activities and Projects

The Alliance has been active in survey and documentation projects for neighborhoods subject to development pressures in Mid-City, Central City, and Gentilly. It has supported restoration of notable structures including Creole townhouses, shotgun houses, and Victorian mansions, engaging preservation contractors, architects from firms associated with the American Institute of Architects and conservators tied to the Society of Architectural Historians. Collaborative projects have involved landscape preservation at sites like Lafreniere Park and adaptive reuse proposals for buildings proximate to St. Charles Avenue streetcar lines and cultural corridors near Bayou St. John.

Advocacy and Policy Impact

The Alliance has influenced local preservation policy debates before bodies such as the New Orleans City Council and the Louisiana Legislature, advocating for stronger protections under local ordinances and for funding priorities tied to agencies like the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. It has intervened in proceedings related to demolition permits, tax-incentive programs such as the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program, and disaster recovery funding allocations overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The group has filed comments and supported litigation coordinated with legal advocates from organizations like the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and regional law clinics at Tulane University Law School.

Awards and Recognition

The Alliance has granted awards recognizing successful preservation projects, restoration architects, and stewardship by property owners, paralleling honors given by bodies such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Recipients have included restoration projects on properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places and local landmarks in neighborhoods like Uptown and Algiers. The organization itself has been cited in press coverage from outlets such as The Times-Picayune and featured in heritage tourism guides endorsed by Visit New Orleans.

Organization and Funding

Structured as a nonprofit corporation with a board drawn from preservation professionals, architects, historians, and community leaders, the Alliance has solicited support from foundations including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and local philanthropic entities such as the Foundation for Louisiana. It has received program grants from federal agencies like the National Park Service and private donations from members, corporations, and preservation philanthropists. Staffing has included executive directors with backgrounds in architectural history, partnerships with university preservation programs at Tulane School of Architecture and grant administration linked to regional funders.

Notable Campaigns and Controversies

The Alliance has led high-profile campaigns to save structures threatened by demolition or incompatible development, engaging in debates over projects proposed near the Superdome and waterfront redevelopment along the Mississippi River. Controversies have arisen when preservation goals intersected with post-disaster redevelopment priorities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (2005) and when local preservation restrictions clashed with affordable housing initiatives advocated by groups such as Make It Right Foundation and municipal housing authorities. These tensions have prompted discussions involving cultural organizations like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and civic actors including the Urban League of Louisiana, reflecting broader debates over heritage, gentrification, and resilience policy in the region.

Category:Historic preservation organizations in the United States Category:Non-profit organizations based in New Orleans