Plan to raze Annunciation Catholic Church blocked

Plan to raze Annunciation Catholic Church blocked
August 03, 2009
Amber Sandoval-Griffin
Times-Picayune/nola.com

Residents of the Faubourg Marigny, Bywater and St. Roch communities left City Hall with smiles and applause Monday afternoon after the Neighborhood Conservation District Committee unanimously denied the Archdiocese of New Orleans' request for a permit to demolish the historic Annunciation Catholic Church.

Emotions ran high during a public hearing in City Council chambers as former Annunciation parishioners and long-time community activists demonstrated their opposition to tearing down the church which was built in 1844 at Marais and Mandeville streets.

Despite protests, the archdiocese closed Annunciation in 2001 and now wants to demolish the Faubourg Marigny church as well as the rectory and the parish hall next door.

"These are not only buildings, nor are they in imminent danger of collapse, " shouted Chita Manuel, who eight years ago was at the forefront of the unsuccessful fight to keep the church open.

"These three buildings represent history, the history of a people. Please do not let these people (the archdiocese) inflict any more injury on this city by continuing to hold on to land tax-free in the name of God without doing God's work."

The furor over the proposed demolition of Annunciation is the latest controversy that had pitted parishioners against the archdiocese, which since Hurricane Katrina has closed 34 parishes.

Defending the proposal to demolish Annunciation, Elizabeth LaCombe, a representative of the archdiocese, said at the hearing that the church building is deteriorating and has suffered a high number of break-ins, theft, the presence of squatters and vandalism and poses danger to a community that has already been devastated by an increase in criminal activity and Katrina.

"It's been very difficult to secure and defend these buildings, " LaCombe said. "We understand that these buildings have historical value but our plan would be to demolish the whole building and put a fence around the property. We plan on removing any sacred objects and stained glass from the church before demolition."

LaCombe said the property has never been listed for sale publicly. She said there have been people who expressed interest in the property after driving by and realizing it was vacant, but determined it was not feasible to rebuild.

LaCombe said demolition would cost roughly $50,000 and would come from parish funds and the archdiocese.

Some demolition opponents have recommended renovating the building and turning it into a school, library or community center to upgrade the neighborhood.

The steel-frame church, which did not floor during Katrina, is structurally sound, Ramiro Diaz, a local architect, said during the hearing.

"I think their are many, many people and friends who would be very interested in purchasing that property, " said Bethany Lemanski, who owns and has renovated several houses in the neighborhood and added that the church itself is a beautiful fixture in the area. "In my opinion, the buildings are very structurally sound and it would take very little to get them up and running."

At the close of the hearing, LaCombe said the archdiocese would be open to revising any proposals for restoring the building.