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The National Trust for Historic Preservation President Richard Moe responded to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin’s Bring Back New Orleans Commission’s recently unveiled proposal that would give neighborhoods in the city’s low-lying areas from four months to one year to prove that they should not be bulldozed.
[The following includes excerpts from a letter Moe sent to Mayor Nagin last night in response to the commission’s recommendation. To read the entire letter click here (pdf).]
“At the very least, I would urge that building permits be allowed in the city's nineteen National Register Historic Districts, which contain 38,000 historic structures. We have concluded that every single one of these historic districts can and should be rebuilt, and that the overwhelming majority of damaged structures within their boundaries can be repaired. These are the Creole cottages, shotgun houses and historic bungalows that constitute the heart and soul of New Orleans. These are the neighborhoods most important to the identity of New Orleans, and they must be allowed to lead the city's neighborhood recovery effort.”