What was once an avant-garde architecture development meant to restore a flood-ruined 9th Ward neighborhood has become a legal battleground. Back in early September, Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation was sued by two Lower 9th Ward residents who accuse the non-profit organization of building and selling substandard houses that are rapidly deteriorating.
The two homeowners are harbingers of a class action lawsuit on behalf of other residents who purchased the 109 experimental, energy-efficient Make It Right homes. Millions of dollars are at stake. Pitt, the Hollywood leading man who founded Make It Right, and other former officers of the foundation were named among the defendants in the September lawsuit.
Brad Pitt's Make It Right group sued over post-Katrina houses it built in New Orleans
On Nov. 20, lawyers representing Pitt filed a motion asking a judge to dismiss the claims against Pitt and remove him from the lawsuit. Pitt’s lawyers argue in the court filing that, even though Pitt spearheaded the project in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he can’t be held personally responsible by the owners for construction of the buildings.
In mid-September Make It Right sued New Orleans architect John C. Williams, who oversaw the construction of the modernistic homes, for defective design work that led to leaks and other flaws. According to the Make It Right lawsuit, repairing the damage caused by rain and humidity to the homes could cost Make It Right $20 million.
Read: “Architect says it was ‘shocking and insulting’ to be sued by Make It Right.”
In Pitt’s motion to dismiss, his lawyers argue that even if the homeowners' claims against Make It Right are credible, Pitt isn’t to blame. Nor, they say, can he be accused of fraud. Pitt’s lawyers, who filed the motion in the United States District Court For The Eastern District Of Louisiana, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Lawsuit against Brad Pitt’s Make It Right has become a federal case
Starting in 2006, Pitt used his celebrity clout to establish the Make It Right charity that provided homes at affordable prices tailored to displaced residents. The endeavor, which used house plans by architectural superstars such as Shigeru Ban, Thom Mayne and Frank Gehry, was certainly one of the most audacious post-K recovery proposals.
Ground was broken on the first Make It Right homes in 2008. By 2015, the development had cost over $26 million and had become a popular post-K tourist attraction. Construction discontinued by early 2016. In recent years Make It Right has been tight-lipped, not responding to questions from the press and conducting what residents describe as scant communication with home owners. Pitt has not spoken publicly about Make it Right since the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in 2015.
A batch of experimental weatherproof lumber allowed considerable water damage to some of the homes, the residents say. Owners have complained of other problems as well. The worst case came to light near the 10th anniversary of the start of construction, when an abandoned 7-year-old Make It Right house at 5012 North Derbigny St. was demolished on June 30 at the insistence of neighbors, because of rain damage and rotting.
Doug MacCash has the best job in the world, covering art, music and culture in New Orleans. Contact him via email at dmaccash@nola.com. Follow him on Twitter at Doug MacCash and on Facebook at Douglas James MacCash. As always, please add your point of view to the comment stream.
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