If you are looking for industrial zoned property in Orleans Parish, there are only five areas from which to choose. That's because every one of the industrial zoned areas is near a railroad, a byproduct of 300 years of development in New Orleans.
New Orleans was founded in 1718 and development was fueled by sugar and coffee trading and transportation as the gateway to the Mississippi River. From 1830 to 1840 it became the wealthiest and third most populous city in the nation. The Ponchartrain Railroad was built in 1830 and was one of the earliest in the United States. In 1851 the New Orleans & Jackson Railway north was completed. In 1854 the Southern Pacific west was completed. This convergence of railroads helped spur the growth and caused the development of nearby warehouses to house goods for transport, resulting in five industrial zoning areas.
The Tchoupitoulas area is a five mile strip from Audubon Zoo to the Jackson Street Wharf along Tchoupitoulas Street. Goods are trucked from cargo ships docked at the Nashville Avenue, Henry Clay and Louisiana Street wharves. Shown in the zoning map as sections A-15, B-15 and C-15.
Stretching from the downtown area along the current AMTRAK path, this industrial sector continues along Earhart Boulevard to the Carrollton area. Spots in this area have been rezoned for a wide variety of uses, such as multi-family to accommodate the change in demand for affordable housing after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, retail for the 100,000sf Restaurant Depot serving the booming New Orleans hospitality industry, and new warehouses for Mardi Gras floats. Shown in the zoning map as sections B-13, C-13 and C-14.
The strip from the Mid-City area stretches from South Claiborne Avenue to Carrollton along Conti and St. Louis and Lafitte Streets, and includes an area behind the current Home Depot facing South Carrollton which previously was a roundhouse, allowing a locomotive to change tracks. Shown in zoning map as sections C-12 and C-13.
Starting from the Louisa Street wharf at the Mississippi River, this industrial sector runs north along Press Drive and intersects Franklin Avenue at Almonaster then runs west along Florida Avenue to Gentilly Boulevard near Dilliard University. Shown on zoning map as sections D-12, E-12, D-13.
Starting at the Poland Street Wharf, the largest industrial zoned area stretches for 15 miles, first north along the Industrial Canal to Interstate 10, then east along Chef Menteur and Almonaster Boulevard, encompassing the largest section of railroad track in New Orleans. This area includes the NASA Michoud Assembly Center and landfill areas with large tracks of land along Old Gentilly Road. Shown on zoning map as sections E-14, E-13, E-12, F-12, F-13, G-12, G13, H-12 to H14, I-12 to I-14, J-12-J-13, K-12, L-11, L-12 and stops at the swamps in the Bayou Savage National Wildlife Refuge.
Sources:
www.lousianacommercialrealty.com
New Orleans City Planning Commission
