Poydras Street


Poydras Street is a street that serves as the main artery of the New Orleans Central Business District, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The street is named for Julien de Lallande Poydras. Many of the city of New Orleans' and the state of Louisiana's tallest buildings have been built on the street since it was widened in the mid 1960s. The street also hosts several historic structures and is the boundary between two United States National Register of Historic Places districts.

History

The street is named for Julien de Lallande Poydras, who helped Louisiana achieve statehood, served as the first President of the [Louisiana State Senate], and Delegate from the Territory of Orleans to the United States House of Representatives, Eleventh Congress.
The street traces back to 1788 when it was first laid out, but its prominence traces back to its transformation that began in the 1960s. In the 1890s, Poydras Street and Canal Street were early hosts of municipal lighting when gigantic spotlights in steel light towers were erected upon them by Muller Co. In 1927, when its width measured, the movement to widen it was begun by consultants for the City Planning Commission. The street hosted the Poydras Market from 1838 to 1932. As urban planning evolved, Poydras became the logical 4-lane connection between Expressways. It took until 1964 for a bond issue to pass that would acquire the properties to widen the street as had been recommended in 1927. From November 23, 1964 until August 16, 1966, demolition, drainage installation, utility connection, paving, sidewalk construction and landscaping occurred, resulting in a six-lane wide street. Many factors combined to give Poydras Street its prominent place in urban transit, including the erection of the Louisiana Superdome at one end and the Rivergate Exhibition Hall at the Mississippi River end in the late 1960s and the construction of One Shell Square in 1972. Subsequently, more than a dozen skyscrapers were erected along the street that has become a central area circulator for vehicular traffic and host of modern high-rise construction.
The street currently accommodates a Spaghetti Junction near the Superdome that provides access to U.S. [Route 90 in Louisiana|U.S. Route 90], Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 90 Business. The Street hosts various stops for the New Orleans [Regional Transit Authority] streetcar lines: Riverfront, Rampart–Loyola and St. Charles. According to the Port of New Orleans, the Canal and Poydras Street Wharves hosts a long and deep berth used for river boat harbor excursion tours.

Notable buildings

Height

Below are buildings with Poydras Street addresses that are notable based on their height.

Historic

The buildings and districts below are recognized as historic by the National Park Service.

Other