4-2-26: 300 Calhoun Street – Ted’s Frostop
April 2, 2026
Historic District Landmarks Commission
1300 Perido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Re: 1300 Calhoun Street – Ted’s Frostop
Dear Commissioners:
Louisiana Landmarks Society firmly supports the Historic District Landmarks Commission staff report's recommendation to deny the demolition application for 3100 Calhoun Street — the site of Ted's Frostop. But first and foremost, we ask the HDLC to defer this item until the impacted neighborhood has the opportunity for meaningful discussion.
We are deeply troubled by how this project came to public attention. The Versailles neighborhood — whose residents will live with the consequences of this decision — learned of the proposed dormitory development through media coverage on March 23, 2026. They did not learn of it through any outreach by Tulane University, RCR Claiborne Venture, LLC, or the City. This is not enough time to fully understand the consequences of a proposal of this magnitude — particularly when residents are being told it is a fait accompli. A project of this scale, proposing to house 160 residents in a HU-RS single family historic district with only 37 parking spaces, demands genuine community comprehension and engagement before any city agency acts. This project also sets a dangerous precedent for Tulane University's expansion across Claiborne Avenue into a historic residential neighborhood.
Applying the Commission’s own criteria, the HDLC staff's evaluation found that this building warrants preservation. We agree. Ted's Frostop is not simply an old commercial structure — it is a rare, intact example of mid-20th-century drive-in architecture, a surviving piece of a typology that has nearly vanished from the American landscape. Of the approximately 350 Frostop locations that once operated nationwide, only a handful remain, with even fewer retaining their original buildings. This is not only an active, ongoing restaurant — it is a cultural icon. And it matters to many.
The building's ties to New Orleans run deep. Ted's Frostop has anchored this corner since 1955. Its iconic root beer mug sign — patented locally, manufactured locally, and distributed nationwide — became a symbol of the city's resilience when it was restored and raised back into place after Hurricane Katrina. The Commission's own inspection found the structure to be in fair to good condition, continuously occupied, and well maintained. There is no urgent physical justification for demolition. And the proposal to attach the “Classic Sign” to a dormitory façade is not preservation. It is far from an adequate substitute for the building itself.
Before any vote is taken, we urge the HDLC to:
Grant the request for deferral, allowing time for the applicant to address the community's legitimate and unresolved concerns.
Require the applicant to demonstrate alternatives to demolition — including retention and adaptive reuse of the existing structure.
Ultimately, uphold the staff recommendation and deny the demolition application.
Once Ted's Frostop is gone, it cannot be rebuilt. Its design, its materials, its neon character, and its singular place in this community's memory are irreplaceable. The HDLC staff has recognized this. We ask the Commission to do the same.
Sincerely,
Sandra Stokes
Chair of Advocacy
Louisiana Landmarks Society
225-445-3800