When I was a kid, a trip downtown was a big deal. I remember going to the movies with my grandmother (I think I managed to talk her into seeing the original Attack of the 50 Foot Woman—it was B-movie and she wasn’t too happy about it). I can remember taking the streetcar to go “downtown” when I was about 13 to go shopping (ostensibly) and ended up walking around the French Quarter, soaking in the sights, sneaking to take a look at Bourbon Street (my mama would have killed me), hanging around Jackson Square to check out the artists. It was really exciting for a kid, and one of the neatest parts was going shopping at all the beautiful stores: Godchaux’s, Holmes, Krauss and Maison Blanche, which had beautifully designed windows and, of course, Mr. Bingle, the cute little snowman, as its Christmas emblem.

All good things have to come to an end, though, and when Lakeside, the first mall, opened in Metairie in the 1960s, the demise of Canal Street began. Slowly the big department stores all closed. The streetcar was shut down and busses took their place. Souvenir joints and retailers selling goods aimed towards the people who lived in the area took their place. Foot traffic decreased. Crime increased.

It never ceases to amaze me how shortsighted some people are when it comes to keeping a good thing. Canal Street was (and is) a beautiful thoroughfare. It’s really become a sad reminder of what was once the center of commerce in New Orleans.

Finally, there is some real activity on the street. Reinstalling the Canal Street streetcars is a major step in the right direction. Frankly, I never could understand why they were taken away in the first place. The City’s Canal Street Redevelopment effort and the actions of the Downtown Development District seem to taken hold as Canal Street’s sidewalks are being repaired, palm trees and new lighting fixtures are being installed. The old Maison Blanche Building has been converted to the posh Ritz-Carlton.

Just before this issue went to press, the Times-Picayune broke the news that there was a major development being planned on Canal Street that would include a music museum. The Krauss Building is in the process of being developed into condominiums (so that location is not available). Pres Kabacoff, who developed the American Can Company and the controversial Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas, plans to develop a music museum in the building that now houses the State Palace Theater. Kabacoff’s firm HRI and Entertainment Realty, headed by Troy von Otnott, are co-developers of the project. Otnott was recently involved as the developer of the ill-fated Grammy Hall of Fame.

“Right now, the working title of the development is the ‘Louisiana Music Experience’,” says Otnott. “Our initial plans include the State Palace Theatre building as the centerpiece of the project, but they can also include other buildings that are historically important in the city’s history, such as the Eagle Saloon on Rampart Street.”

Plans include the entire building, once the property has been acquired (at press time, the site had not been secured).

“We would totally re-tenant the building with retail and food and beverage on the first floor on Canal Street. The theatre would be retained on the first floor and would be the centerpiece of the project. We want to put the theatre back into play with about 1,000 seats. Right now, the theatre seats about 3,000 people—it’s a bit larger than the Saenger. But the venue hasn’t had any money invested in it for several decades. It’s in such a bad state that it’s probably not viable for some acts that might want to perform there.”

So wouldn’t the new theatre have to compete with the more recently renovated Saenger?

“The Saenger really caters more to touring events and theatre,” says Otnott. “The theatre project as we see it in the Louisiana Music Experience would be a showcase for local music and musicians. We could have shows during the day, say at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. that focus on jazz, gospel, zydeco, rhythm and blues—indigenous local music. When people come to New Orleans, they want to experience real local music. And where can you take your kids to see music? The theatre on Canal Street would provide that.”

Museum space would be on second level of existing front part of the building and the development plan also includes building an addition of 30,000 square feet on top of existing space. “There would be three levels of exhibitory area to include space devoted to jazz, Louisiana music, and a Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Separately, we plan a changing exhibit area to perhaps work in conjunction with the Smithsonian. We’d also want a fairly comprehensive computer archive on Louisiana music.

“Right now, we’re going into a five-month predevelopment period in early 2005,” said Otnott. “We’re hoping to have documents in place at the beginning of the next legislative session to hopefully secure government monies from state, and hopefully the city for the project. I don’t think private financing through GMAC [the same entity that was to finance the Grammy Hall of Fame] will be a problem.”

Since WWOZ’s plans to relocate its facilities in Armstrong Park have not materialized, would WWOZ be a part of the plan? “We want to do something for WWOZ, but the amount of they space they require [10,000 square feet] may not be possible. It may come down to WWOZ having a digital outpost in the building. I’m sure we’ll want to do something for WWOZ; we also have an affiliation with the Louisiana Music Commission to put a satellite office in the building. But at this point we’re still in the planning stages.”

THE RIGHT TO VOTE

Now’s your one and only chance to vote on the deserving candidates in this year’s OffBeat Best Of The Beat Awards. Online voting (through Friday, January 14, 2005) is your musical right, exclusively at www.wwltv.com, beginning December 27, 2004. Our awards are the only local awards presented solely based on the voting of music lovers. And don’t forget your tickets to the greatest live music show in Louisiana: The Best Of The Beat Awards, Friday, January 21 at Generations Hall. What a great stocking stuffer!