Shell HQ anchors River District's next chapter
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Shell's new regional headquarters in front of Mardi Gras World. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios
Shell's new Gulf headquarters is taking shape in New Orleans' River District, with construction expected to wrap up in April 2027.
Why it matters: It's one of several projects under way in the district.
The big picture: Developers and officials are navigating the next phase for the River District, though financing and public incentives continue to shape the pace of work.
Here's the latest snapshot.
🛢️ Shell HQ: The oil company broke ground last year on its office tower.
- Employees will likely move in next summer, says Brian Gibbs, a partner and investor with River District Neighborhood Investors.
- The office replaces the company's former presence at One Shell Square, which has since been renamed the Hancock Whitney Center.
🏨 Omni hotel: The City Council last week approved zoning changes needed to build the proposed 27-story hotel. Developers hope to start construction later this year, with the opening set for 2030.
- See statements from the convention center, City Council and Councilmember Lesli Harris.
- If it gets final approvals, it's expected to become the city's fifth-largest hotel when it opens on the current Sugar Mill site, WWL reports.
👥 Housing: City Council members are set to vote next week on tax incentives for Rivana, a proposed apartment complex, WDSU reports.
- This first phase will have 220 units, with 165 designated as workforce and affordable housing, the developers say.
🎺 Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience: Developers finalized a lease with the convention center this year, but still need to fund the $170 million museum project, the Times-Picayune reports.
- The goal is to preserve, educate and promote Louisiana's music legacy as the "genesis of America's music," the website says.
- Developers hope to break ground next year and open in 2029. See renderings.
🏭 Market Street Power Plant: ASM Global, which manages the Caesars Superdome, and restaurant company BRG Hospitality have a tentative agreement to convert the blighted space into a music venue, according to the Times-Picayune.
- The deal hasn't been signed as of this week, Gibbs says.
✊🏾 Civil Rights Museum: Funding remains a problem for a stand-alone building in the district.
🚫 Scrapped: Topgolf. The proposed soccer stadium also appears to be on indefinite hold.
