Tulane Announces Student Housing for Calhoun Corridor

- Tulane Expansion: Planned 39-unit dormitory at Claiborne and Calhoun intersection.
- Site Impact: Construction replaces Ted’s Frostop and several nearby businesses.
- Public Hearing: Residents can voice concerns regarding density and traffic safety.
- Action Item: Submit comments to the HDLC before the April 8 hearing.

In an unexpected statement issued in March, Tulane University announced its plan to occupy a multi-level, 39-unit dormitory at the corner of Claiborne and Calhoun, to be constructed on lots recently acquired by RCR Claiborne Ventures LLC. The investment team, led by several owners of Robért’s Fresh Market, is working in partnership with attorney William P. Connick, Jr. and Zach Smith Consulting & Design. The project footprint spans a former Mid-City Pizza franchise on Miro, the drive-thru for shuttered First Horizon (formerly Iberia Bank), an adjacent private residence, and the well-known Ted’s Frostop diner, currently still in operation.

Under a lease with undisclosed terms, the new apartment-style complex is designed to house approximately 160 Tulane graduate students and undergraduates. The proposed off-campus facility, situated in the Marlyville-Fontainebleau neighborhood with its main entrance facing South Miro Street, would be completed by next August and include retail space at ground level, with a designated parking area behind the building.

Rendering of Tulane University’s proposed student dormitory (view from Miro-Calhoun intersection)

Tulane asserts the new dormitory is intended to "align student housing needs with neighborhood priorities" and inspire commercial revitalization, with the added benefit of on-site security. It is unclear whether the university or its partners seek to expand the overall footprint, but the elevation rendering (above) unveiled in March—depicting elements from Ted’s Frostop being incorporated into the new building—shows the remainder of the 3100 block of Calhoun intact.

Everything in Context: The Planning Process

Meanwhile, the investors, who regularly withhold final sale prices from public records, have indeed made overtures to purchase several other parcels in that square. New York-based owner Robert Alessi is holding onto a one-year option to sell RCR his two-story building at 3148-50 Calhoun for the sum of $1,400,000, leaving principal tenant B-Spot Nola Restaurant to run out the remainder of their lease. Tulane’s statement gave no indication how these additional properties would be incorporated, if at all, nor whether plans involving the other side of Calhoun or South Tonti Street are in the works.

Sources apparently were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements as part of the negotiation process, leaving them unable to discuss offer amounts or other terms. There had long been speculation that the Robért brothers were contemplating a new store, considering their takeover of family-owned Langenstein’s grocery chain last year.

Although the university claims this move would revitalize the surrounding area, their official announcement notably makes no mention of prior community engagement or public consultation process. Focusing instead on the university’s internal goals, the press release did not indicate when residents may learn more about the project’s many moving parts, such as traffic flow, lighting, setbacks, noise abatement and pedestrian safety.

RCR holdings acquired since 2022 (red), requested for demolition (starred), offered to buy in 2025 (green), and option to buy (shaded in yellow)

The press release instead presents the undertaking as a fait accompli, asserting that all required zoning, permitting and parking considerations have been taken into account. This, in concert with the co-investors’ stealthy approach to buying property, casts doubt on City planners having been apprised, and whether City Planning Commission’s hard-won Neighborhood Participation Plan (NPP) will be invoked going forward, as a conduit for public input.

Several applications for demolition—subject to HCLD review and approval* because Marlyville lies within the larger Carrollton Historic District—were filed the following day. As required by city law, placards have been staked on-site, drawing attention to the coming changes, and inviting public comment leading up to an April 8, 2026, hearing in City Council chambers.

*HDLC staff shared a general overview of the process in the Comments below

Ted’s Frostop Restaurant as it appeared in early 2026

Impacts and Safety Concerns

Now that Absent any evidence of nearby residents have been alerted to the plan, thanks to week-long news coverage (linked below) and posts on social media, people have been busily commenting online, some citing another instance of “planning by surprise” while others simply want an opportunity to voice their concerns over how student housing might impact local density, property values, and the general character of the community. A request for more information from the school’s community outreach office, whose staff recently underwent a major overhaul, is still pending.

Of major concern is whether the planned improvements will necessitate a protected crosswalk or other traffic-calming measures, to safeguard students crossing Claiborne. Preparatory to 2013 construction of Yulman Stadium (FAQ) on Tulane campus, the university had underwritten a detailed impact analysis (PDF) focusing on area parking, pedestrian safety and traffic patterns, although it ultimately did not support adding a traffic signal at the Calhoun intersection.

Opportunities for Public Input

Meanwhile, the proprietors of nearby retail establishments in and around the Calhoun corridor—including University Village, Félipe’s, Elio’s Wine Warehouse, and several mom-and-pop shops—await the kind of information one might expect from a formal NPP review, if one ever occurs, regarding the project’s expected scope and potential impact.

HDLC public notice placards appear in front of First Horizon Bank drive-thru

Members of the public may go here to view live/recorded HDLC hearings, see their calendar of upcoming events, register with the NoticeMe system, submit written comments on agenda items (listed below), or contact the Historic District Landmarks Division for any other information. They may also email comments to wcargile@nola.gov or esburke@nola.gov (deadline 4:00 PM on April 7) or speak in person at the Wednesday, April 8, 2026 hearing, to be held in City Council Chambers, 1300 Perdido Street, at 1:00 PM.

First Public Meeting

An informal meeting convened at Ted’s Frostop diner on Monday evening, April 6, 2026 where Tulane officials, RCR representatives and councilmember Aimee McCarron from District A fielded questions from members of the public. Included were a number of reporters from local news outlets; one or two taped the proceedings and later conducted interviews. Links to their coverage appear below.

Neighbors from Versailles Boulevard and others close to the proposed Tulane dorms site filled the restaurant to capacity. Another 10-20 people stood just outside an open entryway, straining to hear what was being said inside, since no microphones were used.

Residents packed Ted’s diner to overflowing for their first opportunity to hear directly from the RCR team

Developers began by insisting they were “not obligated to hold any public meetings since existing zoning laws allow this project by right." (This claim would be widely disputed in the runup to the April 8th HDLC hearing, where it was ultimately disproved.) They then shared a short list of talking points concerning parking, security and architectural design.

However, Zach Smith, who held the floor longer than any other presenter, astonished the crowd by withholding key details such as who would manage the apartment complex. duration of the lease, and other terms of his team’s deal with Tulane University, citing an ongoing Non-Disclosure Agreement.

Several attendees expressed mounting displeasure with how the plan—effectively "a done deal" years in the making, by RCR’s own admission—amounts to a de facto expansion of the university campus into a historic business corridor. Another neighbor asked how a plan of this scale could have gotten this far without public officials, nearby retailers, or the surrounding community knowing about it.

Many passionately voiced opposition to the Frostop diner being razed, and one Versailles resident pleaded with CM McCarron to uphold HDLC Staff recommendations against demolition of Ted’s, in the event the developers' application were to gain approval later that week. However, that particular application was in fact denied by HDLC after a lengthy hearing two days later.

ADDENDA

Zoning: Permitted and Conditional Uses in HU-B1 (current)

Zoning: Permitted and Conditional Uses in HU-MU (future)

Robért/Connick/Robért project site with renderings

NEIGHBORHOOD PARTICIPATION PROGRAM

NPP Resource Guide (Revised May, 2024)

HDLC MATERIALS

HDLC received applications for demolition of the outlined properties for their hearing on April 8, 2026:

• 3100 Calhoun (Ted’s Frostop) ► HDLC staff recommendations

• 6309 S. Miro ► HDLC staff recommendations

• 6309 S. Claiborne (bank drive-thru) ► HDLC staff recommendations

• 6423 S. Claiborne is currently zoned HU-RS (single-family only). NOTE: A zoning change to Mixed-Use HU-B1 requires administrative review and public input.

HDLC April 8, 2026 meeting agenda

HDLC April 8, 2026 hearing video

Visit the NoticeMe HDLC FAQ

Preservation Resource Center (PRCNO) has started a “Save Ted’s” campaign

A petition opposing demolition of Ted’s is circulating on Change.org

MEDIA LINKS

“Tulane plans student housing on Claiborne site” (CityBusiness)

“Ted's Frostop to be torn down to make way for new Tulane student housing complex” (NOLA . com)

“Ted's Frostop demolition permission opposed by New Orleans landmark commission staff” (NOLA . com)

“Iconic mid-century diner Ted’s Frostop threatened with demolition” (Preservation Resource Center)

“Tulane is planning on demolishing Frost Top and other businesses to build huge student housing complex on Claiborne” (Reddit)

“Ted’s Frostop to be demolished” (The Advocate)