Real Estate News

     The Federal Fibre Mills at 1107 S. Peters was a rope factory completed in 1903.  It made all sorts of ropes for the transportation industry and manufacturers that used rope.  It was renovated in the early 1980′s to become a center piece of the 1984 World Fair that was held in New Orleans.  The mono-rail ran through the building and also hosted the German Beer Garden.  It also housed workers for the Fair.  It later became one of the first conversions for downtown living in the New Orleans for condos.  Today it remains one of my favorite complexes.

     The developer once again tried to give you that warehouse feel with exposed beams, exposed brick, high ceilings, lots of natural light and natural wood.  The 140 units have the amenities of the Worlds Fair to enjoy.  A great lobby, A great courtyard and pool, and some great views of the city.  Few buildings in the 1900 time period were larger than 5 stories that were used in manufacturing.

     The Condos that are now The Julia Place Condos at 333 Julia Street in the New Orleans Warehouse District was once a bag factory built in the 1880′s.  They were apartments before being converted into condos in 2005.  The are all a little different in floor plans.  Garage and Lot parking for about 85% of the units on the first floor and adjacent lot.

     The Bemis Bag company made cloth and burlap bags that were used in shipping raw materials.  Coffee, Cotton, Corn, Rice, Wheat were all loaded on barges and ships in this time period.  New Orleans was a large port city so the bag factory was necessary for shipping on the steamboats and rail that came to the City of New Orleans. They needed large windows for natural light and high ceilings for the large equipment that was used in making bags.

    The Cotton Mill Condos at 920 Poeyfarre in the New Orleans Warehouse District are aptly named as this was a 1900 Cotton Mill.  This building covers a city block.  The large windows were for natural light so the worker could see better.  It was near the Mississippi River so the raw materials were easy to transport down river from points North.

It now has 288 units in the condo complex.  It was converted into apartments in the late 1990′s before being converted to condos in 2004.  Today it is one of the larger complexes in New Orleans.  People love the high ceiling’s of 18 ft, large windows, exposed beams and exposed brick. It is a true Warehouse feel.

     This is an old home on Magazine Street near the Garden District that was converted into apartments  and later into historic  condos in 2007.  It has 5 units.  Most of these old homes are small complexes.  The developer did what he could to make each unit feel like it could have been in the 1880′s with wood plank floors, high ceilings, large windows, brick walkways, porches and galleries that fit the period.  Plenty of attention to detail.  It has parking in the rear. I call these neighborhood condos as they seem to fit right in the neighborhood.

    Another one of my favorites condo complexes in Uptown New Orleans is this old school-house that were turned into condos on Coliseum Street.  How would you like to live in an old classroom. The wide halls let you know it was once a school-house.  The units tend to be different from each other.  The units have parking around the building.  They have a modern feel with a touch of history as this was more than likely built in about 1920′s. Its in a neighborhood surrounded by single family homes and an easy walk to Prytania that was once a neighborhood shopping area as it is today.