City of Kenner hires maintenance team for neglected Esplanade Mall

Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn insists he's not looking to pick a fight, but he is looking at the grass. Lawn patches near the once-bustling Esplanade Mall were standing higher than he liked a few days ago. So he made some calls.City leaders didn't want to wait any longer for the property's operator, Kohan Retail Investment Group, to manicure the property. They hired a private landscaping firm, H&O Grounds, to manicure the property Saturday."Unkempt property is going to draw rodents and things that are worse, and we don't need that," Zahn said. "If the mall can't take care of themselves, we have to step in and take care of it for them."The City of Kenner's intervention marks the latest chapter in the Esplanade Mall's bumpy history. When the site first opened in 1985, stores and restaurants filled its two-story plan ― and customers followed. But many factors led the venue to bottom out: the rise of Metairie's Lakeside Shopping Center; fading interest in brick-and-mortar shopping; closures prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.City leaders hope maintaining the property will preserve its value as they court potential buyers and developers. Atlanta-based planning firm TSW intends to present its design in August for a mixed-use complex, featuring home, office and retail spaces."I think most of the people we talked to realized the mall was in really bad shape and wasn’t going to come back," TSW founder and planner Tom Walsh said Monday. "The only way bricks and mortars are going to succeed today is if we create something that feels authentic and feels like more of a walkable neighborhood.""If there's strong leadership in the community, this can be one of the nation's most extraordinary projects," Walsh added. "It's all set up for Kenner."Zahn said it's still unclear how many more times H&O will conduct maintenance at the site. Much of that, he adds, hinges on what the New York-based Kohan Retail Investment Group is willing to do."We have a beautiful piece of property right here in the middle of Kenner," the mayor said. "It just needs some help."Kohan did not return WDSU's phone or email requests for comment. The city plans to file liens on the property to recover dollars spent on landscaping and safety.

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