Esplanade mall, the multi-story retail complex that once dominated suburban shopping, would best serve the community by being torn down and completely redeveloped, a consulting firm told the city Tuesday evening.
Instead, TSW believes a residential and commercial district could revitalize the area.
The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate reports the mall's owner, Kohan Retail Investment Group, has left hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes on the property unpaid. Jefferson Parish assumed ownership of the property when no one bought it at a tax sale last year.
The mall is the latest to get caught up in sweeping changes to the retail industry, and shoppers do less business at massive suburban complexes, instead shopping online or at big-box retailers.
