Trump International Hotel and Tower

Trump International Hotel and Tower was a proposed mixed-use real-estate development associated with the Trump Organization in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. Announced in 2005, the project was conceived as a major luxury tower combining retail, condo-hotel units, and private condominiums. It was promoted during a period when New Orleans was seeking large-scale investment and redevelopment in the central business district, but the proposal was soon overtaken by the disruption caused by Hurricane Katrina and by the subsequent weakness in the national property market. The project was reported as substantially arranged in August 2005, shortly before Hurricane Katrina struck the New Orleans area. The development was initially expected to begin construction in early 2006. Donald Trump subsequently reaffirmed support for the proposal after the storm, although no firm construction schedule was established. Local business figures viewed the continued commitment as potentially helpful to the city's recovery and efforts to attract investment. The planned building was described as a 70-story tower rising approximately 716 feet, topped by a 126-foot spire. If completed, it would have been designed to become the tallest building in New Orleans and Louisiana, and one of the tallest structures on the Gulf Coast outside Houston. Its program called for retail space at the lower levels, luxury condo-hotel accommodations in the lower portion of the tower, and luxury residential condominiums above. The architectural concept was reported to resemble other Trump-branded tower developments, including completed projects in Chicago and Toronto. The New Orleans City Council approved the tower for construction on March 15, 2007. Approval did not lead to a groundbreaking, however. By February 2009, the project was reported to be on hold while the national economy and real-estate market recovered. The site ultimately became subject to foreclosure proceedings. In July 2011, the project was reported to be officially dead after the development land was sold at auction to a company that intended to use it as a parking lot. Because the tower was never built, the name functioned primarily as a proposed real-estate project and development brand rather than as an operating hotel or an established hotel chain property. No completed guestrooms, condominium units, retail operations, or public opening resulted from the proposal. Its historical significance is therefore tied to New Orleans redevelopment, post-Katrina investment expectations, and the failure of a high-profile luxury tower project during the financial downturn.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower New Orleans emerged in 2005 as a proposed high-profile redevelopment project for the city's Central Business District. Contemporary reporting in August of that year described the real-estate deal as apparently finalized and characterized the proposal as the first major construction project in the district in many years. The Trump Organization planned a large mixed-use tower carrying the Trump name, with a combination of retail, luxury hospitality-oriented residences, and private condominiums. The initial schedule called for construction to begin in early 2006. Hurricane Katrina, which struck the New Orleans region shortly after the project was reported, significantly altered the environment in which the proposal was expected to proceed. Donald Trump expressed continued support after the storm, and local business leaders regarded the project as a possible sign of private-sector confidence in the city's recovery. Nevertheless, the development did not receive a clear post-storm construction timetable. The proposed design was intended to be an exceptionally tall addition to the New Orleans skyline. Plans described a 70-story building approximately 716 feet high, together with a 126-foot spire. Completion would have made it the tallest building in New Orleans and the tallest in Louisiana. The project was also presented as potentially the tallest point on the Gulf Coast outside Houston. Its lower floors were planned for retail uses, followed by luxury condo-hotel units, while the upper floors were intended for luxury condominiums. The architectural language was described as similar to other Trump tower projects, particularly the completed Trump International Hotel and Tower developments in Chicago and Toronto. On March 15, 2007, the New Orleans City Council approved the tower for construction. The approval represented a formal planning milestone, but it did not produce a groundbreaking or guarantee financing. The broader United States economy and real-estate market deteriorated during the following period. In February 2009, the project was reported to be on hold pending economic recovery, leaving its construction prospects uncertain. The proposal ultimately failed to advance. The development site was foreclosed on and later sold at auction. In July 2011, the project was reported as officially dead, with the acquiring company intending to use the property as a parking lot. Since no tower was constructed, the project never became an operating hotel, condominium building, or retail destination. It remains an example of a highly ambitious urban development proposal that received municipal approval but was cancelled before construction because of site and market conditions.

• 2011

  Project cancelled

  [1]Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)en.wikipedia.org

  The proposed tower was declared dead after foreclosure and auction of its development site.

• 2009

  Development placed on hold

  [1]Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)en.wikipedia.org

  The project was suspended while the national economy and property market recovered.

• 2007

  City Council construction approval

  [1]Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)en.wikipedia.org

  The New Orleans City Council approved the proposed tower on March 15, 2007.

• 2005

  Project publicly reported

  [1]Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)en.wikipedia.org

  The proposed Trump International Hotel and Tower was reported as a major mixed-use development planned for New Orleans's Central Business District, with groundbreaking initially anticipated for early 2006.

• 2005

  Post-Katrina support reaffirmed

  [1]Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)en.wikipedia.org

  After Hurricane Katrina, support for the project was reaffirmed, but no definite timetable for construction was established.

A proposed high-end mixed-use tower positioned around the Trump brand, combining luxury hospitality, residential real estate, and retail in downtown New Orleans.

• Mixed-use luxury real-estate development · 2005

  Trump International Hotel and Tower New Orleans

  The central proposed development was a roughly 70-story tower planned for the New Orleans Central Business District. Its program combined retail space, luxury condo-hotel accommodations, and private condominiums. The design was intended to reflect the appearance of other Trump-branded towers and would have made the building a landmark in the New Orleans skyline. The project was approved by the city but never constructed and therefore produced no operating hotel or completed residential inventory.

• Retail

  Proposed retail space

  Retail shopping was planned for the lower levels of the tower as part of its mixed-use program. The proposal did not specify an operating tenant lineup, and no retail space was ultimately delivered because the building was never constructed.

• Hospitality-oriented residential property

  Proposed condo-hotel units

  The lower portion of the planned tower was intended to contain luxury condo-hotel units, combining hotel-style positioning with individually owned residential accommodation. These units remained a development concept and were never opened or sold as part of a completed building.

• Residential real estate

  Proposed luxury condominiums

  The upper floors were planned as luxury condominiums within the Trump-branded tower. The residential offering was intended to be a major component of the project's commercial model, but no units were completed because construction never started.

• 2009

  Project suspensionStrategy

  Background

  The national economic downturn weakened the conditions for financing and developing a large luxury real-estate project.

  Action taken

  The project was put on hold pending economic recovery.

  Aftermath

  The site was eventually foreclosed on and sold at auction, ending the development.

  Source

• 2007

  Municipal construction approvalOther

  Background

  The proposed tower required municipal approval before construction could proceed.

  Action taken

  The New Orleans City Council approved the project on March 15, 2007.

  Aftermath

  Approval did not lead to construction; the project was later placed on hold and ultimately cancelled.

  Source

• 2005

  Pursuit of a major New Orleans mixed-use towerStrategy

  Background

  The Trump Organization pursued a large downtown New Orleans development during a period of expected urban investment and redevelopment.

  Action taken

  The proposed project combined a Trump-branded luxury tower with retail, condo-hotel, and condominium uses.

  Aftermath

  The development was disrupted by Hurricane Katrina and later affected by weak economic and property-market conditions.

  Source

• 2011

  New Orleans Trump tower project declared dead after land auction[1]Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)en.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy · Other

  The proposal was reported as officially terminated in July 2011 after the project land was foreclosed on and sold at auction for a planned parking-lot use.

• 2009

  Trump International Hotel and Tower placed on hold[1]Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The project was reported to be suspended while the national economy and property market recovered, and construction had still not begun.

• 2007

  New Orleans City Council approves Trump tower[1]Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)en.wikipedia.org

  Regulation

  The New Orleans City Council formally approved the proposed tower for construction on March 15, 2007.

• 2005

  New Orleans Trump tower proposal reported as a major downtown development[1]Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The proposed Trump International Hotel and Tower was reported as a major new real-estate project for New Orleans's Central Business District, with construction initially expected to begin in 2006.

• 2005

  Trump reaffirms support for New Orleans project after Hurricane Katrina[1]Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Following Hurricane Katrina, Donald Trump reaffirmed support for the proposed tower, although the project was not given a definite construction timetable.

1. 1Trump International Hotel and Tower (New Orleans)en.wikipedia.org