Notable New Orleanians: A Tricentennial Tribute

GOTHAM LOFTS
Though it was definitely in need of some
TLC, Con Demmas saw a future for the New
Orleans city block located in the heart of the
Warehouse District and bordered by Andrew
Higgins Drive, South Peters Street, John
Churchill Chase and Poe Street. He saw so
much promise, in fact, he bought the entire
block in 1981.
From the start, Demmas dreamed of breathing
life back into a bit of New Orleans history;
to offer visitors a glimpse of an era long ago,
while also enjoying modern conveniences. He
did not want to just repurpose old buildings;
he wanted to join the past and the present for
a useful and unique experience unlike no
other in the city. To do so, he enlisted the help
of his son, George Demmas, in 1996.
The result? Generations Hall, one of the
city’s most unique and versatile special event
venues, and Gotham Lofts, a newly renovated
and reimagined twenty-five-room, long
term/extended stay facility, which has catered
to business professionals and the movie
industry since initially opening as Jelly Roll
Executive Suites in 2004. Both businesses are
operated by parent organization, Venture
International, LLC.
Located side-by-side, the buildings that
now host Generations Hall and Gotham Lofts
were first constructed almost two centuries
ago in 1821. The Orleans Sugar Refinery
operated in the buildings for their first sixtyfive
years of existence. In the late 1800s,
what is now Generations Hall was converted
for cotton storage, and today’s Gotham Lofts
served as storage for the pumping equipment
of Albert Baldwin Wood, the inventor and
engineer credited with developing New
Orleans’ first water pumping system.
In 1984—not long after the senior Demmas
acquired the deeds for the property—the
block was completely transformed into an
Italian Village for the 1984 Louisiana World
Exposition and World Fair, which ran from
May until November. Following the fair, a
portion of the property was operated as a successful
night club called City Lights before it
finally—under the tutelage of the father and
son duo—underwent an extensive renovation
and grand reopening as Generations Hall and
Metro Night Club.
“After my first ten years in financial
planning, my father’s enthusiasm and vision for
this property was so contagious that I
was excited to join him in the mid-1990s,”
George recalled, adding that he has also continued
his financial planning business. “We fully
renovated and opened Generations first in
1997 and followed with what is now Gotham
Lofts in 2004. Dad passed away in May 2014,
but, without a doubt, it was his passion, zeal,
and insight that made all of this possible.”
Adorned with artwork depicting the rich
history of New Orleans jazz, Generations Hall
and the Metropolitan Night Club is the quintessential
French Quarter-style facility with
over 36,000 square feet of function space. The
NOTABLE NEW ORLEANIANS: A Tricentennial Tribute
178