New Orleans' distinctive Eiffel Tower building hits the market
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The Eiffel Tower building on St. Charles Avenue has been the site of numerous events over the years, including this Smirnoff party in 2017. Photo: Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images for Smirnoff
One of New Orleans' most recognizable buildings is back on the market.
The big picture: The distinctive building at 2040 St. Charles Ave. is made of 11,000 pieces of the Eiffel Tower's former restaurant, according to a 1986 New York Times article, which opened 562 feet above Paris in 1937.
- French engineers noticed the restaurant sagging in 1981, the newspaper reported, leading to its removal.
- Those pieces ended up as the home for a New Orleans restaurant in 1986.
- Since then, the building, which the New York Times likened to a giant Erector set, has been the site of an untold number of local celebrations throughout its lifetime as a restaurant, bar and, most recently, the Nieux Society.
Driving the news: Now, the New Orleans creative tech collective is on the hunt for a new home as the group's lease comes to an end.
Zoom in: That organization was founded five years ago just as the buzz of NFTs was grabbing headlines.
- Access to the Nieux Society, which promises access to private events and connection to a community of tech-minded creatives, was launched through access to NFT-based digital artwork.
- "We saw this as a place for innovation and entrepreneurship, new thinking," says founder Tim Williamson. "We've done over 200 events … around that mission."
- Some of the Nieux's past work includes helping member and former New Orleans Saint Steve Gleason use AI to develop visual art projects.
Yes, but: Working in such a distinctive building presented a catch-22, Williamson says.
- Operating there has been expensive, but the Nieux Society took up a side business in events to take advantage of interest in renting it as a venue.
- Now, the Nieux Society is looking for another home with a smaller footprint.
- "This building attracted this incredible group," Williamson says, "and we just want to grow it and engage the group and focus on the group."
What we're watching: It's not yet clear what the next life will be for 2040 St. Charles Ave., which is listed for sale at $2,825,000.
- Its 18,000 square feet could be used for office space, "a museum, cultural institution, or other special purpose use," the listing notes. "Existing features include a full bar and commercial kitchen [and] a performance stage."