The recent building collapse in the French Quarter shook many residents and left plenty of New Orleanians wondering how things got so bad.
Glade Bilby, President of French Quarter Citizens and board member of the French Quarter Management District, joined WWL’s Tommy Tucker to discuss the importance of investing in the historic architecture of the French Quarter.
To put it bluntly, Bilby expressed surprise that instances like this aren’t more common in the French Quarter. “I think the disconcerting thing is that I’m surprised more buildings haven’t crumbled as was the case with this one,” he emphasized when speaking to Tommy Tucker.
“You can’t go inspect every building, but you can certainly pay attention to the state of every building and pay attention to the whole of the French Quarter. It’s something that we really need to value,” Bilby adds.
Many who live in New Orleans understand that the soil table here is different compared to many other major cities. “We’re pretty soupy underground. When anyone digs pretty far, they know they’ll hit water. So, I think that makes all the foundations around here pretty tenuous,” added Bilby.
He noted that the shifting soils and the 150-200-year-old buildings that dot the French Quarter create a dual issue when it comes to maintenance.
“We have a lot of tourists, which means a lot of trucks coming through the French Quarter. Garbage trucks, tourist buses, people getting things in, then cleaning up, and getting out. That causes a tremendous amount of vibration on the roads. When you vibrate (those roads), it translates up to the taller buildings,” Bilby pointed out to WWL’s listeners.
He added that much of the masonry used in the area is made of sand, water, and lime and only has a finite lifespan. “It can’t last forever and turns back to sand. When you rattle it, move it, and shake it, it cracks,” Bilby pointed out.
Moving forward, Bilby thinks making residents aware of the state of the infrastructure in the French Quarter would be most useful. “I don’t know that the city can do much of anything other than raise the level of awareness, making people realize what the French Quarter is. It’s the architecture there that reflects the history and the culture of the city. And it’s up to the residents who have been here the longest to keep this up.
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