Mandeville Will See the Girod Street Stroll This Fall

Typically held in the spring, the Girod Street Stroll has been postponed due to COVID-19 and will now be held in the fall. The event is held annually by the Old Mandeville Business Association.

This year the Girod Street Stroll is presented by Resource Bank and will take place on September 25, 2021 from 5pm - 9pm in Old Mandeville. The activities take place starting at Girod Street at the Mandeville Trailhead and following along to the Lakefront. Live music and entertainment will be by 10th Street Brass.

Patrons will be able to stroll to over twenty stops and enjoy small bite plates by local Mandeville chefs and cocktails. Participants of the event can vote for the best small plate and cocktail. There will also be a raffle of a live painting that will be created by artist Andrew Wilkie.

"It is one of Mandeville's most popular annual events, as it showcases our local businesses and restaurants, our artists community, and our vibrant culture," OMBA Board Member Andre Judice said.

The Old Mandeville Business Association (OMBA) is a non-profit that is made up of both businesses and residences of Old Mandeville. The goal is to serve and support the local commerce while preserving and promoting the charm and beauty of the community.

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A Local Developer’s Unique Twist At Adaptive Reuse

As a community starts to thrive and grow, more and more businesses and residents move into the area.  Along with new growth, comes new buildings and homes in the community. What about the existing buildings in the area that might have lost their tenants due to previous lack of growth?  An Adaptive reuse, the process of reusing an old site or building for a different or new business, is a great way to bring new life into an old building.

existing building is a perfect place for future business owners to begin a new business. 

One community that is booming with growth along the Northshore in the New Orleans area is Mandeville. Barrett and Jill McGuire, of McGuire Real Estate Group, are using adaptive reuse at two sites in Mandeville. Rest Awhile is currently underway and is now a restaurant complex and Band’s Food Store’s old building is currently under review to become a restaurant in Old Mandeville.

Currently under way, is the Rest Awhile restaurant complex.  Originally the Rest Awhile building was the Frapart Hotel in the 1800’s which later became a retreat house for those in need. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the building

was left abandoned and now the project is preserving the old building into a sit-down restaurant.  Two other buildings on the site include the Hadden Cottage, which plans to be a coffee and tapas bar and the Sophie B. Wright Cottage which plans to be a tavern.

The McGuire’s second project is close to Barrett’s heart. Band’s Food Store, in Old Mandeville, was built in the 1940’s and served Old Mandeville for decades.  As a young boy, McGuire remembers sweeping the parking lot of the grocery store, located at Lafitte and Monroe, to earn money to buy baseball cards.  The couple purchased the site for $275,000 and hope to turn the building into a restaurant.  McGuire says they are focusing on “a lunch counter concept at this point” and as for the name, “we haven’t gotten that far yet,” he said.

Adaptive reuse is not only a smart and green way to reuse current buildings, but is also a great way to preserve a community’s memories and history. As for the McGuire’s belief on conserving the old grocery store site, “It’s a great little place. It deserves to be put back into commerce,” he said.

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New Restaurant in Old Mandeville Has New Orleans Roots

A sous chef with seven years’ experience working at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans will be opening a new restaurant in Old Mandeville, just 5 blocks off of Lake Pontchartrain.  The restaurant building which used to house Vianne’s Tea House and very briefly the Ugly Duckling Cafe will take on the new name of Hambone and will server breakfast, lunch, coffee and brunch on the weekends.

The fare will include traditional southern and Louisiana food like red beans and rice.  According to the new owner and chef, Luke Hidalgo, the menu will feature southern comfort food and include

specialty sandwiches and small plate meals.

“It’s that little bit of a turn that you put into your food on the front end that makes all the difference in the world,” Hidalgo said of his approach in designing his menu. “It takes a little bit of an extra effort, but it’s worth it.”

The endeavor is being taken up by Luke Hidalgo and his wife Marci, who he met at Commander’s Palace and who also has restaurant experience. The location of the new restaurant is 544 Girod Street.  In addition to working at Commander’s Palace, Hidalgo also has experience working as executive chef at Palmetto’s Restaurant in Slidell.  The new restaurant will have approximately 145 seats – 85 inside and 60 outside.

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Interesting History of the Bank Building in Old Mandeville

The Candy Bank, located in Mandeville at the corner of Claiborne and Carroll Street, famous slogan is “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!” This sweet filled store sells candy and ice cream and is owned by Thomas and Lisa Keiffer. Why they chose this catchy phrase can be explained by the history of this well-known Old Mandeville landmark.

St. Tammany Banking Company and Savings Bank was founded in 1905. The first president and one

of its founders was Harvey E. Ellis.  The bank opened a branch in Mandeville and was the first tenant to occupy the building in 1907.  The company opened its doors with $5000 in stock on January 1, 1907.

The building was built in the Beaux Arts style that was popular from 1880 to the 1920’s and was not only the largest building around but also the sturdiest.  Along with its decorative touches such as a gable roof with exposed rafters and intricate cornices, the building was built like a “German Bunker.”  Locals knew this was the place to go when inclement weather was upon them. “The old vault is the place to go,” said current owner Thomas Keiffer. A well-known 20th century author Arthemise Goertz refers to the large bank building in her novel, “New Heaven, New Earth.” The main character, Dr. Victor duRocher, declares: “When the fences go, we must go too. We must get out. We must go to the bank building.”

With the change in the commercial corridor of Old Mandeville from Carroll Street to Girod Street the bank building has since housed many different tenants and businesses. The building has been a previous owner’s residence, a legal office, a medical office, a photography studio, a pet supply store and a coffee house. Many Mandeville residents even remember when the building was part of Windhaven Antiques owned by Ms. Dale Gale. Luckily this old historical landmark has kept up with the times and has held its purpose.

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Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) Port Marigny in Mandeville

They say that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and that is the plan Steve Oubre, Project Designer at Architects Southwest, says about the lakefront traditional neighborhood development (TND) Port Marigny on the Mandeville lakefront. Port Marginy will be patterned after the “historic character” of Old Mandeville. The 78-acre project site is located on the former Pre-Stressed Concrete

Products plant just east of Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.

The waterfront development’s updated figures and renderings were presented to the Mandeville Planning and Zoning Commission July 28, 2015, and the project will only be allowed to proceed with the City Council’s approval. The City Council will hold several more meetings to allow Mandeville’s resident’s opinions to be heard before voting their final approval.
Mandeville’s residents, who attended the standing-room-only, meeting July 28, 2015, were able to ask important questions about the project’s density and potential traffic problems the new development could create. Many believe the developers of Port Marigny plan to build too many housing units which will cause traffic congestion in the area. The proposed development plans include building 429 “New Urbanism” new

homes for sale which include apartments (multi-family housing), condominiums and single-family homes on large home sites. In addition to the new construction housing units there will also be 60,000 square feet of commercial space, a 150-slip marina, a 120-room boutique hotel, a park and a town center that would feature a statue of city founder Bernard de Marigny. Traffic Consultant Rich Hall will address these concerns and has already taken preliminary traffic counts. He plans to take additional counts once school begins in August.

Richard Muller’s, attorney for Marcus Pittman owner of the property which the abandoned concrete plant sits on and who is providing guidance for the proposed project, described the focus of the project is to “facilitate the development of a vibrant, walkable, mixed-use, waterfront development that provides strong fiscal benefits for the city.” Residents who will own a new construction unit in the residential community will have narrow setbacks, large lots, sidewalks, service alleys with back access garages, streets no longer than 650 feet, and the multi-family homes will be four stories high including commercial space on the first floor.

Oubre is confident in the project. Oubre stated that his goal was to “build to the historic character” of neighboring Old Mandeville. “Old Mandeville was done right,” Oubre said. “We’re trying to replicate it.”

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