Photos by Lance Traweek. Rendering courtesy Rome Office.

 

A former St. Charles Avenue office building in the Warehouse District is being renovated into a boutique hotel.

 

Urban Properties Development LLC, a New Orleans-based commercial real estate developer and project manager, has partnered with Align Venture Capital to redevelop 757 St. Charles Ave. into The Hotel Perle – a boutique, large-format hotel.

 

The existing three-story structure was originally built as a hotel in 1920 and renovated into an office building by the Blitch-Knevel architecture firm in 1985. The building is positioned across the street from the former FedEx office and True Food Kitchen.

 

Urban Properties Development is planning a full renovation of the office building into a large-format hotel. It will feature 11 suites and a 2,000 square feet café/bar concept on the ground floor. Construction commenced in late April.

 

The hotel development comprises 11 unique large-format suites, ranging in size from 1,400 to 1,800 square feet. They include three-, four- and five-bedroom units. The units will include chef’s kitchens, hardwood floors throughout, exposed brick, en-suite washer/dryer, central HVAC and luxurious bathrooms. Common area amenities will include an outdoor amenity deck with a pool and bar, 40 covered parking spaces, Wi-Fi and a private terrace that fronts St. Charles Avenue along the Carnival parade route.

 

Michael Bucher, partner and managing director at Urban Properties, led the acquisition and is overseeing the renovation.

 

“Urban has been working on this project since 2019,” Bucher said in a news release. “Our firm is grateful to the former ownership and our current partners at Align for seeing this unique opportunity and believing in our vision. Hotel Perle is a hotel for groups and will be the first-of-its-kind luxury large-format style hospitality in the Warehouse District.”

 

Rome Office is serving as the architect, while Ryan Gootee General Contractors is the contractor. New York City-based Ward & Gray is the interior designer. MC Bank provided the construction financing. Align Venture Capital, the Urban Venture Fund, and other local investors were provided the equity and mezzanine financing. Urban Properties Development will handle the project management of the renovation, as well as oversee the property and asset management of the completed development. The hotel operator is yet to be announced.

 

The anticipated construction completion date is in Spring 2024.