Abandoned Uptown church will be refurbished, turned into an event venue [Video]

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The former Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church near the intersection of Freret Street and Napoleon Avenue in Uptown New Orleans will be restored and reopened as an event venue at the start of next year.

The project is a collaboration and focuses on refurbishing the old church which has sat abandoned since Hurricane Katrina.

Mimi Spiehler, a co-owner in the project, said she is amazed at how much of the building has been preserved over the past two decades.

“We are so excited about bringing this building back into commerce,” she said. “Being able to preserve all the beautiful elements that are still here post-Katrina, which is kind of crazy that they made it this long.”

She partnered with Dickie Brennan’s Catering to turn the church building into an event venue, which she said will be available to host everything from weddings to balls to …