It powered a city for decades. Now it just sits there, waiting for someone to figure out what to do with it.
On the banks of the Mississippi River, wedged between the Warehouse District and the Convention Center, stands one of the most conspicuous abandoned buildings in New Orleans. The Market Street Power Plant is a massive industrial structure that once generated the electricity that kept the city running. It has been idle since the 1980s, and in the decades since, it has become one of the most tantalizing — and frustrating — redevelopment prospects in a city full of them.
Powering the Crescent City
The Market Street Power Plant was built in stages beginning in 1904, with major expansions in the 1920s and later decades. Operated by New Orleans Public Service Inc. (NOPSI), the plant was a coal- and later natural gas-fired generating station that provided electricity to homes and businesses across the city. For much of the 20th century, it was a vital piece of New Orleans' infrastructure — the literal engine that kept the lights on.
The plant's riverfront location made practical sense in the industrial age. Coal and other fuels could be delivered by barge directly from the river. Cooling water was readily available. And the central location meant shorter transmission distances to the customers who needed the power. The building grew over the decades as demand increased, resulting in the massive, multi-story industrial complex that stands today.
The Architecture of Industry
The Market Street Power Plant is, by any measure, an imposing structure. The main building features a steel-framed industrial design with tall windows, massive boiler halls, and the kind of raw, functional architecture that has become increasingly appreciated as cities rediscover the beauty of their industrial heritage. The building's scale is remarkable — it dominates its section of the riverfront and is visible from multiple vantage points across the area.
Inside, the plant retains much of its original industrial equipment and infrastructure. Turbine halls, control rooms, and mechanical systems remain largely as they were when the plant was decommissioned. For urban explorers and industrial architecture enthusiasts, the building is a time capsule — a monument to the era when cities generated their own power in massive facilities that sat in the middle of the urban fabric.
The Shutdown
By the 1980s, the Market Street Power Plant had outlived its usefulness. Newer, more efficient generating facilities had been built elsewhere, and the old riverfront plant was no longer economically viable. The plant was decommissioned, and the building was shuttered. What had been a critical piece of city infrastructure became a massive vacant structure on some of the most valuable real estate in New Orleans.
The timing of the shutdown coincided with the transformation of the surrounding area. The Warehouse District was evolving from an industrial zone into an arts and residential neighborhood. The Convention Center was expanding along the riverfront. Hotels and restaurants were sprouting up nearby. The power plant sat in the middle of all this activity like a sleeping giant — too big to ignore, too complicated to easily repurpose.
Decades of Proposals
Since its closure, the Market Street Power Plant has been the subject of numerous redevelopment proposals. Over the years, plans have included a casino (before Harrah's won that battle elsewhere), a mixed-use development with hotels and retail, an entertainment complex, luxury condominiums, and various other ambitious visions. Each proposal has generated excitement, media coverage, and renderings that imagine the hulking power plant transformed into something vibrant and new.
And each proposal, with remarkable consistency, has fallen through. The challenges are significant. The building requires extensive environmental remediation — decades of power generation left contamination that must be addressed before any new use is possible. The sheer size of the structure makes renovation extraordinarily expensive. And the ownership and development rights have passed through multiple hands over the years, creating a complicated web of interests that has slowed progress.
The Potential
What makes the Market Street Power Plant so maddening is that its potential is obvious. The building sits on prime riverfront real estate in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in New Orleans. Cities around the world have successfully converted former power plants into spectacular public and commercial spaces — London's Tate Modern, the Battersea Power Station development, and numerous other projects have demonstrated that industrial buildings can become cultural and economic anchors.
The Market Street plant has the bones for such a transformation. Its massive interior spaces could accommodate almost any use. Its riverfront location is unbeatable. Its industrial architecture has the kind of dramatic character that architects and developers dream about. All it needs is someone with the resources, the vision, and the patience to make it happen.
Still Waiting
For now, the Market Street Power Plant continues to wait. It sits on the riverfront, vast and empty, while the city grows and changes around it. The Warehouse District has become one of the hottest neighborhoods in New Orleans. The Convention Center draws millions of visitors. New developments rise on every side. And the power plant remains — a reminder that some problems are too big, too expensive, and too complicated to solve quickly, even when the answer seems obvious.
New Orleans is a city that knows how to wait. It has waited out hurricanes, floods, recessions, and every other kind of adversity. The Market Street Power Plant is waiting too — for the right moment, the right developer, the right plan. When it finally happens, the transformation could be one of the most dramatic adaptive reuse projects in the country. Until then, the old plant keeps its vigil on the river, a monument to what was and a promise of what might be.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Market Street Power Plant built?
Construction began in 1904, with major expansions in the 1920s and subsequent decades. The plant was operated by New Orleans Public Service Inc. (NOPSI) and served as a primary electricity generating facility for the city.
When did the power plant close?
The Market Street Power Plant was decommissioned in the 1980s when newer, more efficient generating facilities made it obsolete. The building has been vacant since.
Why hasn't the building been redeveloped?
Multiple factors have stalled redevelopment: extensive environmental contamination requiring costly remediation, the enormous expense of renovating such a large industrial structure, complicated ownership histories, and the difficulty of securing financing for a project of this scale.
Where is the Market Street Power Plant?
The plant is located on the Mississippi River in the Warehouse District, near the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Its riverfront location on prime real estate makes it one of the most valuable and visible vacant properties in New Orleans.
Are there any current plans for the building?
The Market Street Power Plant has been the subject of numerous redevelopment proposals over the decades, though none have come to fruition. The building remains one of the most prominent adaptive reuse opportunities in New Orleans, with potential comparable to successful power plant conversions in other world cities.
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