Scott Satchfield / Eyewitness News
NEW ORLEANS -- It's a case of blight surrounded by plenty of scenic beauty.
At the lakefront, the terminal building of the old Bally's Casino still sits abandoned and in disrepair six years after being damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
'It's kind of an eyesore,' said Jay Peterson, who keeps a boat at the South Shore Harbor Marina, which sits adjacent to the tattered property.
Peterson said it's time for some type of action.
'Have it either removed or brought back to some useful purpose,' he said. 'If it makes sense, take it down and turn it back into green space. You've got very beautiful views of the lake that are being obstructed here.'
Officials with the Orleans Levee District, the property's owner, said there is a long-term plan to revamp the building and the lot around it, but for now its future remains unclear.
In the process of finding a new use for this facility, officials said the most important step is to determine whether it's still structurally sound.
It's a topic they're set to take up at a marina committee meeting Tuesday morning.
But as long as the property looks the way it does currently, some marina tenants fear it'll attract problems.
'It's an empty building. It's an invitation to crime,' said Brian Jenkins, who lives on a boat at the marina.
Jenkins sees plenty of potential with the property, but for now he feels it's a drag on everything around it.
'I'm not knocking anyone, but it's valuable property that could be making money. It's a pity to see it lie here and become useless and, ultimately have to be torn down,' he said. 'The marina is filling up again. They allow live-aboards here now, but it's a pity that we have to be adjacent to this because this is a reminder of Katrina, frankly, and it's a pretty painful reminder for a lot of people out here.'
Levee district officials recently removed the large walkway that once connected the terminal building to the floating casino, and they said more improvements are on the way.
