For four decades, Chef Paul Prudhomme brought south Louisiana cuisine to a global audience from his French Quarter restaurant, K-Paul’s Kitchen, at 416 Chartres St.
Later this summer, the Historic New Orleans Collection will begin using the building to help bring a different aspect of local culture – the city’s unique history and heritage – to an ever-widening audience, both homegrown and from around the world.
The HNOC is putting the finishing touches on a $6.4 million renovation of the building, which it purchased in late 2023 for $5 million. When completed in August, the three-story structure will house staging areas and prep space, where HNOC staff can build and assemble the increasingly elaborate and interactive exhibitions that tell the story of New Orleans and its diverse people.
“What we’ve done throughout our history is acquire buildings in the French Quarter and adaptively reuse them – both to preserve them and engage the public in the history and culture of the French Quarter,” said HNOC President and CEO Daniel Hammer. “This building is the latest iteration of that.”
The move comes as the 60-year-old HNOC is expanding its footprint in the heart of the French Quarter, building out a campus that now includes 15 buildings with museums, courtyards, research space, meetings rooms, offices, storage and staging areas.
Hammer, a native New Orleanian who joined the organization nearly 20 years ago and has been its chief executive since 2019, believes the growth and sustainability of the HNOC is vital to the city’s future…