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22 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT photos and text by Alex Lemann Post-storm, volunteers and new staff come from near and far to help PRC rebuild EVA ALITO A resident of Mid-City, Eva was born and raised in New Orleans and worked until recently as a mechanical engineer. Since 1995 Eva has been volunteering for Rebuilding Together, but now she’s a construction manager, along with PRC’s Kevin Barnes. Eva says that supervising home repairs isn’t so different from mechanical engineering. “It’s the same principles, just a different venue.” According to Eva, the best part of her new job has been working with volunteers. “Those kids are great. It’s so uplifting to work with people coming in from out of town; they’re so grateful and enthusiastic.” WILBUR WALKER Rebuilding Together’s new warehouse manager first moved to New Orleans from Barnwell, S.C., in 1981, when some of his buddies in the Navy were stationed here and urged him to come down. After working in operations for the World’s Fair (where he met Sara Moore), Wilbur moved to the Convention Center, where he worked in the warehousing department for more than a decade. Living with his wife and two daughters in Algiers, Wilbur considers himself lucky to have avoided the floodwaters, but his evacuation was no picnic; spending three months in a threebedroom house in Jackson, Miss. with 15 people and eight dogs was not fun. Wilbur also has a background in computers, but he says he loves his new job. “I like this because it’s tangible; you can see it, feel it.” SUE HOBBS On a six-month sabbatical from her job in Washington, D.C., Sue Hobbs joins the PRC as news editor of Preservation in Print. Sue works as an editor and reporter for the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., a private company that manages a variety of publications dealing with labor relations, law, business, and government. The company awards two sabbaticals per year for projects that aim to benefit not only the individual, but also the community. For the sabbatical committee, Sue says, it’s also important that the project fit with the applicant’s life. For Sue, the fit was perfect. “Certain cities take your breath away, and New Orleans just does. After the storm, I was struck by the tendency to tear down damaged homes, and I wanted to help stop that.” Since early February, Sue has been living in the French Quarter, working at the PRC, and trying to soak up as much of the city as she can. JOSH HERRINGTON Josh comes to New Orleans from Fullerton, Calif., where he worked for the Rebuilding Together (RT) affiliate in Orange County for four years. Working for RT in California, Josh says, was nothing like working in New Orleans. In Orange County, he did a lot of handicap modifications: putting in ramps, grab bars, special showers, and other minor repairs. Here in New Orleans, Josh quickly learned, RT is faced with a much more gargantuan task. When Josh moved from California, he felt the thrill of getting involved with something at the ground level. As supply manager, Josh has been putting in some long hours getting everything up to speed, but it’s all worth it, he says, when you see people moving back into their homes. SARA MOORE Sara has lived in New Orleans for 25 years now, but when she first visited during the World’s Fair in 1983, she was a total neophyte. “I had never been down south in my whole life, but when my sister moved down I had to come visit.” Before long, Sara had a job working for the World’s Fair and had moved away from her native New Jersey. When the World’s Fair ended, she worked for the Convention Center, where she stayed until a few months ago. As intake manager for Rebuilding Together, Sara is responsible for sorting through all the homeowners who apply for help, something she enjoys immensely: “I love helping people get back into their homes.” MARCELLE BOUDREAUX Marcelle comes to the PRC from the Historic Resources Group, a private, for-profit, historic preservation consulting group in Los Angeles. After a four month stint working for the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage in New Delhi, she decided to move back to New Orleans, her hometown. “I had to go to the other side of the world to realize I came from a really interesting culture,” she says. Now Marcelle writes for Preservation in Print and assists Rebuilding Together, and is hoping to attend architecture school in the near future. BRITTON HERRING Hailing from Lafayette and New Iberia, Britton first came to New Orleans in 1984 to see the World’s Fair. Inspired by the city’s buildings, he decided to become an architect. While attending Tulane architecture school, Britton was somewhat frustrated by the emphasis placed on modern design. Even after he received his architecture degree, Britton felt that he had missed out on a lot of history, so he decided to go back to school for a master’s in preservation, which he expects to receive next year. Britton spent a semester volunteering for Operation Comeback, working on projects in Holy Cross, and says he would love to do more preservation work. “New Orleans is a city about preservation,” Britton says. “It’s a very important time to keep it together.” KEVIN BARNES Born and raised in Alabama, Kevin first moved to New Orleans in 1999, after falling in love with the city on a visit. “This really is the jewel of the South, and I just loved the city and all its culture.” Kevin has worked for Rebuilding Together since 2003, and so he hardly counts as a new staff member, but it was only in December that he returned to RT after a Katrina-induced exile in San Francisco, where he worked with homeowner’s insurance and tried to sell his house in New Orleans. “It was just time to move back. I figured that if anyone could help, it was people who had gone through similar things,” Kevin said. www.prcno.org
PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 23 ACTIVELY FOR SALE ACTIVELY FOR SALE The owners of the following houses have contacted Operation Comeback and asked us to market their properties. Though you may not see a “For Sale” sign outside, each house is being offered to a renovator committed to doing a respectful renovation, whether for owner occupancy, resale or rental. To view the properties in their neighborhood settings, please contact Sarah Bonnette, Operation Comeback’s Information Manager, at (504) 636-3047 or sbonnette@prcno.org. 6212 Burgundy St., Holy Cross: This more than 150- year-old Creole cottage needs a loving renovator to bring it back to life. There’s lots of potential in the open floor plan, which could make a perfect studio space or home for a single occupant. The property’s double lot leaves lots of room to build an addition. $60,000 as is. 607 Flood St., Holy Cross: Discover this hidden gem with a lovely side yard garden and back yard! The one-bedroom, onebath single shotgun with bargeboard construction was renovated just before Hurricane Katrina. Property near Mississippi River flooded but has been gutted. It includes a utility room and covered rear patio. $75,000 as is. 3635 Livingston St.: Original Lustron house on large corner lot in New Orleans neighborhood near Old Metairie. Twobedroom, one-bath house is constructed of enameled steel panels and is one of the few remaining examples of its kind in the city and the country! Interior flooded with more than 4 feet of water, but has been gutted. Price negotiable. 1425 Piety St., Bywater: Get the chance to repair an Artsand-Crafts-style double shotgun turned single-family residence. House sits on a double lot in area just outside the Bywater National Register District and flooded with more than 4 feet of water. $50,000 as is. 6126 Royal St., Holy Cross: Make what neighborhood residents say was former dance hall your home! The two-bedroom, onebath single shotgun also has side gallery porch, detached shed with utilities and a nice backyard. House flooded with 4 feet of water, but has been gutted. Repairs will need to be made to collapsed front porch. $40,000 as is or negotiable. 4914-16 N. Rampart St., Holy Cross: Turn this double shotgun located near Holy Cross School into your home. Each side of this unrenovated house has two bedrooms and one bath and flooded with up to 6 feet of water. $30,000 as is (seller also requesting that buyer pay $3,500 in property taxes). 418 St. Maurice Ave., Holy Cross: This single shotgun with side and back additions has lots of space! The four-bedroom, two-bath house is unrenovated so there’s lots of potential to create the floor plan you want in a location near the Mississippi River. $90,000 as is or negotiable. Please note: Because Operation Comeback is a non-profit program of the Preservation Resource Center, we do not enter into contractual agreements with the sellers of properties. Sellers are free to choose to accept an offer from any party interested in a home, not limited to parties that the Operation Comeback staff has referred to the seller. www.prcno.org
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