Second Historic Home Demolished in LSU Footprint - Despite Insufficient Funding to Build Hospital

Crews demolished the nice camelback home at 216 S. Prieur today in the LSU Footprint.  The home was perfectly livable, it was well-landscaped, it was nestled between a number of occupied homes, and it was a contributing building in the Mid-City National Register Historic District - and rightfully so, as its particular architectural style was quintessentially New Orleanian.

The home's destruction is a perfect example of the utter stupidity inherent in proceeding with demolition of historic, livable properties in a site where the developing entity does not have the funding to build the final proposed project.

Additionally, a vacant double shotgun at the corner of S. Johnson and Cleveland Avenue started on fire last evening, according to neighbors.  The building suffered significant structural damage and some minor damage to the neighboring camelback.  Two investigators from the New Orleans Fire Department were on the scene, one of whom requested that I not post any photos of him...for some reason.

Lower in the LSU Footprint at about 301 S. Roman Street, a property owner accompanied two assessors who were conducting a second assessment of his property after he requested it.

On the VA Footprint side, workers were going into the Neivert house at 2310 Palmyra - I have to wonder if the house has, unbeknownst to its owner, already been expropriated.  ADDED: checking in it CDC, it has - as of Monday, Oct. 11, 2010.  Speaking with the former owner this afternoon, he told me he did not have notice that it was being expropriated.