Winners of the Louisiana Landmarks Society Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation
In 2014, the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy rebuilt 2, 200-year-old Navy buildings on the Mississippi River with an addition of a 3rd connecting school building which resulted in a $17 million expenditure in real estate construction. The new school campus is now located in Federal City which is the name for part of the former naval base here in New Orleans. The New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy is a state charter high school which emphasize a Marine Corps Junior ROTC program
The school, which has actually moved three times – once from a public school campus in Algiers, Louisiana and then from the Navy hospital facility in the shuttered naval base – now has a permanent location which they were able to 
move into over the winter break in February, 2015. Now the 2 historic buildings that received a complete renovation were winners of the Louisiana Landmarks Society Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation in 2015. New construction projects, historic restorations, and renovations are given awards by this program for any home, building, or commercial / industrial construction projects in neighborhoods throughout New Orleans, excluding the French Quarter.
“The variety and caliber of the projects were amazing this year,” said Sandra Stokes, a member of the awards selection committee. “They ranged from individual homes to large-scale projects. There also was a major resurgence in one area — the O.C. Haley area — which is great to see.”
The awards selection committee is part of the Historic District Landmarks Commission, and its members include local architects, historians, and members of the Commission itself. Several components are factored into choosing award winners: restoration helps with revitalization, eco-friendly, sustainable energy efficient renovations / restorations, and cultural and ethnic diversity which is a big focus of the revitalization of New Orleans.
The two buildings of the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy were in “good company” with other winners which included the Tulane School of Social Work, Pan American Life Insurance Building, Bienville Avenue Residences, Carver Theater, Il Mercato, and New Orleans Jazz Market. The awards will be presented on April 15 during a reception and fundraiser for the Louisiana Landmarks Society.
