Plaza Tower - Plaza Tower

Plaza Tower

Construction of the Plaza Tower began in 1964, but halted in October 1966. The property was bought out and construction resumed in 1968. Upon completion later that year, the Plaza Tower became the tallest building in New Orleans and Louisiana, a record it held for four years when One Shell Square surpassed it by over 160 feet (49 m).

Along with the World Trade Center on the Mississippi riverfront, the Plaza Tower marked the beginning of modern high-rises in New Orleans. The building has always held a prominent place in the city's skyline, even after the 1970s building boom on along Canal Street and the 1980s boom along Poydras Street. This is due to both its unique design, particularly its "mushroom top," and its location on the extreme edge of the CBD.

The Plaza Tower was originally designed primarily as an office building with some residential space on the upper floors. Upon completion of the tower, very little residential space was made available. By 1984 the remaining residential apartments were made into offices.

In 2001, tenants began to publicly criticize the building's owners for ignoring worsening conditions in the building. Claims were made that a lack of proper maintenance had led to exposure to asbestos and toxic mold. Several class action lawsuits were filed by workers against the owners and managers and their own employers, the Louisiana Department of Social Services and Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. In 2002 approximately 700 Louisiana state and New Orleans District Attorney's Office employees relocated en masse to offices on Common Street. Since that time, the building has sat sealed off and unused.