A group of businesses says the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans violated a consent judgment regarding the French Quarter construction project.
Several business owners came together to take legal action against the utility earlier this year over the project. They say it has caused a loss of profits and physical damage to their buildings. Fences and barricades have been up and streets have been closed since September 2025.
In July, a civil court judge signed a consent judgment that outlined requirements for the SWBNO for the remainder of the project.
It included things like giving 72 hours’ notice before closing off any streets and removing barricades where active work is not underway.
The business owners say the SWBNO has not followed those guidelines. They asked the court to find the utility in contempt, and a court date was set for Wednesday morning.
However, ahead of the hearing, the judge postponed it until November 17.
“The Sewerage and Water Board attorney let us know that they plan on having their project completed this coming week,” Christina Marullo, owner of French Market Restaurant, said. “And so, the judge said they’re going to reschedule the hearing for the 17th. On the 17th, it will be an evidentiary hearing. We are fully confident that they will be held in contempt.”
The Sewerage and Water Board did not respond to WDSU’s request for comment on the hearing or the anticipated completion date. The utility previously said the construction should be done in late fall 2026.
READ MORE:Lawsuit update: French Quarter construction continues
