Shell HQ anchors River District's next chapter

Shell HQ anchors River District's next chapter

Shell's new Gulf headquarters is taking shape in New Orleans' River District, with construction expected to wrap up in April 2027.

Why it matters: It's one of several projects under way in the district.

The big picture: Developers and officials are navigating the next phase for the River District, though financing and public incentives continue to shape the pace of work.

Here's the latest snapshot.

🛢️ Shell HQ: The oil company broke ground last year on its office tower.

  • Employees will likely move in next summer, says Brian Gibbs, a partner and investor with River District Neighborhood Investors.
  • The office replaces the company's former presence at One Shell Square, which has since been renamed the Hancock Whitney Center.

    • Rendering of the finished Shell HQ building. Image: Courtesy of River District New Orleans and Gensler

    🏨 Omni hotel: The City Council last week approved zoning changes needed to build the proposed 27-story hotel. Developers hope to start construction later this year, with the opening set for 2030.

  • See statements from the convention center, City Council and Councilmember Lesli Harris.
  • If it gets final approvals, it's expected to become the city's fifth-largest hotel when it opens on the current Sugar Mill site, WWL reports.

    • The proposed Omni hotel will be built on the current Sugar Mill site. Rendering: Courtesy of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

    👥 Housing: City Council members are set to vote next week on tax incentives for Rivana, a proposed apartment complex, WDSU reports.

  • This first phase will have 220 units, with 165 designated as workforce and affordable housing, the developers say.

    • 🎺 Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience: Developers finalized a lease with the convention center this year, but still need to fund the $170 million museum project, the Times-Picayune reports.

  • The goal is to preserve, educate and promote Louisiana's music legacy as the "genesis of America's music," the website says.
  • Developers hope to break ground next year and open in 2029. See renderings.

    • 🏭 Market Street Power Plant: ASM Global, which manages the Caesars Superdome, and restaurant company BRG Hospitality have a tentative agreement to convert the blighted space into a music venue, according to the Times-Picayune.

  • The deal hasn't been signed as of this week, Gibbs says.

    • ✊🏾 Civil Rights Museum: Funding remains a problem for a stand-alone building in the district.

    🚫 Scrapped: Topgolf. The proposed soccer stadium also appears to be on indefinite hold.

    Rendering of Rivana apartment complex in the River District. Image: Courtesy of RDNI and Trapolin-Peer