Council approves multiple land-use, demolition and licensing items; short-term rental appeals mostly denied

The New Orleans City Council on an unspecified September meeting date approved several restoration tax abatements, conditional uses, demolition requests and licensing appeals while denying a number of short-term rental (STR) appeals.

Among the items on the consent and legislative calendars, the council granted restoration tax abatement (RTA) requests for 1212 Magazine Street (R 25 4 92) and 468 Saint Joseph Street (R 25 4 93). According to staff presentations, the Magazine Street RTA involved a bed-and-breakfast renovation that the mayor's Office of Economic Development said created about 20 construction jobs and four permanent jobs and met DBE participation requirements. The Saint Joseph Street project was described as an 11-room downtown hotel that created about 25 construction jobs and seven permanent jobs and exceeded DBE requirements.

The council approved several demolition applications and denied others after public testimony. Motions and recorded outcomes included: - Denial of demolition for 2105 Third Street (motion m25 5 09) citing "demolition by neglect" concerns; the council adopted the denial motion. - Approval to demolish 2626 North…