Congratulations to our client, Bayou Phoenix, on being chosen by the city of New Orleans to develop a STEM center, hotel, waterpark, amusement park, and sports complex. H&LA was please to prepare the preliminary feasibility analysis for the waterpark and we wish Bayou Phoenix best of luck with this exciting and expansive development!
Published by: Kaitlin Rust/Fox8live.com
Published date: October 2021
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – City officials have chosen a developer for the Six Flags/Jazzland site in New Orleans East after a long proposal process between two candidates.
Bayou Phoenix, made up of mostly local developers (Henry Consulting, TKTMJ, and Hillwood) and led by local businessman Troy Henry, was the public’s overwhelming choice and as of Monday, Oct. 11, is the city’s choice, also. It would include a STEM center, hotel, water park, amusement park, and sports complex, along with a logistics hub and mega travel center.
The other project, from Kiernan West and SHIELD 1, a foundation launched by Drew Brees, Saints linebacker Demario Davis, and Buffalo Bills cornerback Joshua Norman, withdrew from the site to pursue an alternative location for their logistics, STEAM educational, and urban farming centers.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell says the Bayou Phoenix project was chosen because the developers have the resources to get it done. She says this is a win-win for the city.
“It doesn’t stop with these two developments, it actually starts,” she said in a press conference Monday. “So we’re going to be strategic in our approach because we do anticipate further investments from the developers in New Orleans East and that is the goal.”
District E Councilmember, Cyndi Nguyen is excited to hear the news.
“When we’ve learned of both projects and I would say, we can have both, right, because the East has beaucoup space that we could accommodate and I’m glad that we’re here today with both groups,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen wants to make sure that the projects are spread out since they both have logistics centers. She says the work has only just begun and has already started designating money for infrastructure improvements along Michoud.
“We’re going to need more lanes on Michoud,” Nguyen said. “We want to be respectful of the fact that Oak Island One and Two residents, we have roughly about 400 or 600 homes in that area, that people are still going to have to go to work, take care of their family.”
Phase one of Bayou Phoenix would include the development of the warehouse and distribution center as well as a STEM NOLA center for families.
Phase two would bring the water park, hotel, sports complex, e-sports arena and much more outside of the master plan like a possible amusement park and golf course.
Bayou Phoenix says this could create 700 jobs with an average salary of $64,000.
Contracts are expected to be signed within 30-90 days, which will give city officials and developers a better idea of the timeline for construction.
The Bayou Phoenix Team’s plan says construction should start within the year.
