See the plans for The Garage, a new development Downtown
Appearing on Nola.com and Written by Jennifer Larino
Construction is underway to convert the old Stephens Garage on Carondelet Street into the Warehouse District’s latest apartments and condos. A key feature of the new development? Car elevators.
The Garage, a five-story development by Wisznia Architecture + Development, will open later this year with 51 market-rate apartments and 11 top-floor condos. Like most new apartment buildings being built in downtown New Orleans, this one will have a dedicated parking garage. Developers are also touting plans for two car lifts, which will be programmed to transport residents from the ground floor to the floor where their assigned parking spot is.
The idea is to combine the “suburban convenience of having a private garage with the lifestyle of a downtown loft,” said Simcha Ward, an associate with Wisznia. No more lugging groceries up stairs or into elevators, Ward noted.
The Garage will open inside the former Stephens Garage, which was built in 1951 as a Buick dealership. The building, located at 848 Carondelet St., can be recognized by the scalloped canopy that hangs over its ground floor, parts of which will be incorporated into the 20,000 square feet retail space planned for the new development. More recently, the building operated as a parking garage.
Updated renderings shared with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune showed sleek, modern units with open layouts and details that nod to the building’s automotive past, including the garage’s original concrete beams and functioning garage doors that serve as a divider between the living area and a bedroom in many of the units. The building is mostly a mix of one- and two-bedroom units.
The car elevators are designed to accommodate all types of vehicles, with a laser system to guide drivers in and enough force to lift 8,000 pounds. Sensors will detect when a resident has entered the garage, identify their assigned spot and then send an elevator to get them. An overhead monitor will direct drivers on which elevators is theirs and when to enter. Ward added the parking garage is designed to accommodate electric vehicles.
Other amenities include a rooftop penthouse lounge with a sun deck, wading pool and gym as well as a meeting space residents can reserve. Developers have yet to announce retail tenants for the ground floor space. Ward said the Wisznia team is in the process of looking “at a variety of national and local retailers and restaurants” to fill the space.
The Garage is only the latest downtown development angling for buyers and renters drawn to higher-end, urban living in the city’s Warehouse District. Hundreds of new condos and apartments are set to be finished this year, following other major investments like The Standard, an 89-unit luxury condo building opened as part of the $500 million South Market District development.
Speaking at a recent Urban Land Institute forum, Ward said the privacy and convenience The Garage offers set it apart. The development team believes The Garage will be able to compete “in a market that we’ve seen has plateaued,” he said.
The counterpart to The Garage will be Two Saints, a housing project Wisznia Architecture + Development has planned for an adjacent site that will focus on affordability. Two Saints, located at the intersection of St. Charles Avenue and St. Joseph Street, will offer 218 co-living suites managed by Common, a co-living company with locations nationwide, including in New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C. Renters will get a private suite with their own bathroom, but share a living space and kitchen with three others.
Ward said Two Saints wants to offer a close-to-work housing option for hotel and restaurant workers and others who earn too much to be eligible for low-income housing, but too little to afford rent downtown. A unit at Two Saints would rent for about $1,252 a month, he said.
As for The Garage, condos are currently available for purchase. Listings show condos ranging from $685,860 to $1.6 million for the largest unit, a three-bedroom, two-bathroom layout. Real estate brokers Dorian Bennett with Sotheby’s and Eleanor Farnsworth with Gardner Realtors are handling the listings. Apartments – and more information on rental rates – will be coming available soon, Ward added.
The Garage is set to open in late 2019. Scroll down to see the latest still image and video renderings of the property.
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Jennifer Larino covers residential real estate, retail and consumer news, travel and cruises, weather and other aspects of life in New Orleans for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Reach her at jlarino@nola.com or 504-239-1424. Follow her on Twitter @jenlarino.
