Image via Alembic Community Development
The redevelopment of the former Myrtle Banks school is approximately nine months into construction on the adaptive reuse project in New Orleans.
Alembic Community Development is renovating the property into a repurposed fresh food market for the underserved neighborhood of Central City.
Constructed as McDonogh 38 Elementary School in 1910, the historic structure was too run down to be used as a school in 2002 and closed. A dramatic fire ravaged the shuttered property in 2008, transforming it into an humongous, blighted eyesore one block away from NORA’s new headquarters building.
Alembic Community Development purchased the property from the school board in 2011 with the grand vision to create a commercial office and fresh food hub for the surrounding low income community.
Partial demolition of the damaged interior of the long-blighted building has been completed, and framing of the structure as well as repairing the historic elements of the building are now well underway.
The market is scheduled to open in the fall of 2014.
Check out the detailed construction pics from December.
about the author: CSB Staff
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[…] The $1 million loan, up to half of which may be forgiven, will allow the fresh food grocer to open and operate a 23,000 square foot grocery store in the former Myrtle Banks Elementary School on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. […]
[…] Alembic Community Development opened a 4,200-square-foot coworking space on the third floor of the Myrtle Banks Building on Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., which it has redeveloped into a fresh food market and office space […]
[…] Alembic Community Development opened a 4,200-square-foot co-working space on the third floor of the Myrtle Banks Building on Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, which it has redeveloped into a fresh food market and office space […]