Historical renovation at warehouse on 4201 Tulane Ave

The historical building at 4201 Tulane Ave revealed their renovations at a recent Preservation Resource Center’s event. The building, originally built in 1924, became the headquarters for Riecke Cabinet Works Inc. The plant was once well-known for manufacturing high-quality custom cabinetry and wooden fixtures, and it was in business for 67 years. After Riecke Cabinet Works closed in 1971 The Lighting Inc. Company acquired it up until 2006. For years after that the building sold and changed ownership several times. Eventually it was divided into storage units that were left to deteriorate.

However, all of that changed when Tony and Katherine Gelderman purchased the property at 4201 Tulane Ave in 2020. They began working on its revival and wanted to give new life to the building while maintaining as much of the original character as possible. The Geldermans worked with Rome Office, Trine Builders, and Urban Properties on the historical renovation project, and Moses Engineers provided all the MEP designs. In addition to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems Moses Engineers also provided the fire protection systems.

More details about the history of Riecke Cabinet Works as well as the historic renovation process can be found in Preservation in Print‘s September magazine issue. Davis Allen wrote the story, and photos were provided by Charles E. Leche as well as the Rome Office. You can view the full story online here, or become a member of Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans for a subscription!