City mostly idle as more falling debris from Plaza Tower prompts street closures in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Several streets near the long-vacant Plaza Tower in downtown New Orleans remain closed after debris fell from the building’s roof earlier this week, city officials announced.

Howard Avenue, from Rampart Street to Loyola Avenue, and the right lane of Loyola Avenue between Howard and Julia Streets will remain off-limits to vehicles and pedestrians until further notice.

Traffic on Howard Avenue is being rerouted to O’Keefe Avenue.

City leaders urge commuters to exercise caution and stay alert for detour signs, barrels, and barricades in the affected area.

Fox 8 has reached out to the city administration for more information on a timeline and debris mitigation efforts.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell declined to answer questions when approached by Fox 8 on Monday (Nov. 25).

Council president Helena Moreno said she did not have any new information on the status of the tower.

“Not that it’s so much a surprise, but the administration has not briefed the city council on what’s the latest with Plaza Tower,” she said. “But all that we’ve been receiving lately is a lot of different complaints of pieces of building falling down again. That’s incredibly concerning.”

Moreno said she is not sure what the debris will mean for the planned wrapping of the building ahead of the Super Bowl.

Tammy Terry is the practice administrator at Terry Dental Aesthetics, which is yards away from the towner.

She said the tower has been a source of concern for her staff and clientele since the business opened.

“We were hopeful that the blighted property would be revitalized and brought back to life. However, we’ve seen one setback after another,” she said.

She said hopes the city either facilitates a rehabilitation or demolishes the abandoned property.

In late 2023, the administration plan indicated it was working towards a demolition. However, Code Enforcement director Anthony Davis said in May the city would prefer to rehabilitate the facility.

The city’s communications office issued an unsigned statement Monday at 7:09 p.m., saying, “The city continues to assess the structure at 1001 Howard Avenue, including the safety features around the building. Street closures will remain in place through the holiday weekend as this work progresses. It is important to note that the city does not own the building. As we have done in the past, the city will seek recovery of any costs incurred in mitigating the hazards caused by Plaza Tower from ownership.”

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