A New Mixed-Use Development in Kenner
A new development is soon to come to Kenner. A real estate investment group out of Illinois, Pacifica Square USA, will be purchasing The Esplanade in Kenner. Plans are to convert the old shopping mall to a mixed-used, open-air live work and play community. The development will offer new retail, residential and recreational.
The 700,000 square feet of space that includes the indoor mall and the Macy’s building will be part of the project but Target and Dillard’s will not. The owners want to have a grocery store, hotel, food hall and apartments. The structure will be the same but the glass roof above the mall’s arteries will be removed. The second floor will be apartments and new retailers will come in that do not have storefronts in the area.
“We’re looking to bring new blood into the area. We want to bring in something that’s outside of Kenner, outside of Louisiana,” says Marshal Nguyen with Pacifica.
The company has already had success with the project that turned Clearview Mall into Clearview City Center. ” The fact that they’re doing redevelopment shows that there’s a need for adaptive reuse projects. It means that there are opportunities. ….. We share the confidence,” says Nguyen.
Residents and locals will benefit from the development by more sales tax revenue, housing and jobs. Hopefully the project will go through, as there is still litigation over unpaid property taxes and is still in court. The new developers believe that this will not affect the deal from going through.
