Town of Kenner hires maintenance crew for neglected Esplanade mall
Kenner’s mayor Ben Zahn insists he’s not looking to fight, but he is looking at the grass. Patches of lawn near the once bustling Esplanade shopping center were taller than he liked a few days ago. So he made a few calls. City leaders no longer wanted to wait for the operator of the property, Kohan Retail Investment Group, to take care of the property. They hired a private landscaping company, H&O Grounds, to manicure the property on Saturday. “If the mall can’t take care of themselves, we have to step in and take care of it for them. The Town of Kenner intervention marks the final chapter in the eventful history of Esplanade Shopping Center. When the site opened in 1985, shops and restaurants fulfilled its two-story plan and customers followed suit. But many factors drove the place to its bottom: the rise of the Lakeside shopping center in Metairie; decreasing interest in physical purchases; closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. City leaders are hopeful that maintaining the property will preserve its value as they court potential buyers and developers. Atlanta-based planning firm TSW plans to showcase its design in August for a mixed-use complex, including home, office and retail space. will be back, â€TSW founder and planner Tom Walsh said on Monday. “The only way bricks and mortars are going to be successful today is to create something that feels authentic and looks more like a pedestrianized neighborhood.” Walsh added. “Everything is ready for Kenner.†Zahn said it is still not clear how many times H&O will perform maintenance on the site. Much of that, he adds, depends on this. that the New York-based Kohan Retail Investment Group is ready to do. “We have a nice property here in the middle of Kenner,†the mayor said. “He just needs help.†Kohan doesn’t. Responded to requests for comment by phone or email from WDSU The city plans to file liens on the property to recoup dollars spent on landscaping and security.
Kenner’s mayor Ben Zahn insists he’s not looking to fight, but he is looking at the grass. Patches of lawn near the once bustling Esplanade shopping center were taller than he liked a few days ago. So he made a few calls.
City leaders no longer wanted to wait for the property operator, Kohan Retail Investment Group, to manicure the property. They hired a private landscaping company, H&O Grounds, to manicure the property on Saturday.
“The neglected property is going to attract rodents and things that are worse, and we don’t need it,†Zahn said. “If the mall can’t take care of themselves, we have to step in and take care of it for them.”
The intervention of the Town of Kenner marks the final chapter in the eventful history of the Esplanade shopping center. When the site opened in 1985, shops and restaurants fulfilled its two-story plan and customers followed suit. But many factors drove the place to its bottom: the rise of the Lakeside shopping center in Metairie; decreasing interest in physical purchases; closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
City leaders are hopeful that maintaining the property will preserve its value as they court potential buyers and developers. Atlanta-based planning firm TSW intends to present its design for a mixed-use complex that includes home, office and retail space in August.
“I think most of the people we spoke to realized that the mall was in terrible shape and was not going to come back,†TSW founder and planner Tom Walsh said on Monday. “The only way bricks and mortars are going to be successful today is to create something that feels authentic and looks more like a pedestrianized neighborhood.”
“If there is strong leadership in the community, this can be one of the most amazing projects in the country,†Walsh added. “Everything is ready for Kenner.
Zahn said it’s still not clear how many times H&O will perform maintenance on the site. Much of that, he adds, depends on what New York-based Kohan Retail Investment Group is ready to do.
“We have a beautiful property here in the middle of Kenner,†the mayor said. “He just needs help.”
Kohan did not return requests for comment by phone or email from WDSU.
The city plans to file liens on the property to recoup dollars spent on landscaping and security.