re: Capital One closing downtown branch in old Hibernia Bank building in NOLA

The problem is these old buildings are functionally obsolete, as beautiful as they are. The Whitney has been sitting empty for years; some buyers have tried to come on board but there are so many logistical challenges.

The striking ornate lobbies give way to the uppers floors with low ceilings, narrow hallways, antiquated bathrooms, small rooms and small windows. None of which is desirable to modern commercial tenants. Hotels and condos are really the only things you can use them for, and the conversions are expensive and time consuming even with tax credits.

The American Bank Building is now Section 8 which is a damn shame. You walk by and there are some shabby looking people sitting out front.

The First NBC building was originally built as the new home of the Canal Bank, which was finished right before the Great Depression and the bank failed soon after the building was opened. There was a lot of history with the Canal Bank. From the origination of the word "Dixie" up through the 1927 flood and the stories in Rising Tide.