NEW ORLEANS — Thursday's city council meeting became heated as residents aren't happy that Top Golf is coming to New Orleans.
The planned attraction is part of the anticipated River District development. Thursday, councilmembers voted to swap the city's part of Melpomene Street with the portion owned by the state, as Councilmember Lesli Harris says the swap will help the future development and traffic flow.
"[It] will reroute Melpomene so that it actually goes away from the neighborhood and gets people directly onto the interstate. So it makes passenger walking easier, safer bike lane safer and quite frankly, transportation around that area quicker and easier, " Harris said.
Residents thought Thursday's council meeting would allow for more discussion and consideration about the highly opposed Top Golf, but Harris says the zoning for Top Golf was approved back in December. She says it was always permitted.
"That area has allowed high industrial use because before it was just warehouses. So it could have been built as of right. And that's what they were banking on," Harris said. "There was a text amendment for the entire overlay, which stretches to the river to allow for higher heights of buildings. And that is what will allow for the building of the housing and the retail. And so that's how all of the zoning issues came about. So there was a text amendment approved by the entire council that increased height within this specific River District itself."
Despite the "done deal" as Harris put it, Top Golf was still top of mind Thursday. Residents say they feel they were lied to by the development team.
"They told us in this plot they wanted to put affordable housing and a grocery store and they asked for our support and grudgingly we gave them our support," resident Matt Ryan said.
They say they're supportive of the River District but not of Top Golf. They say the design of the entertainment venue doesn't fit with the neighborhood. Harris says part of the taxes from Top Golf will go towards funding the affordable housing project.
The River District development team sent WWL Louisiana this statement Thursday:
We sincerely appreciate the Council’s overwhelming vote in favor of the land swap that allows us to re-route Melpomene Street. Our team remains steadfast in its commitments and due process to realize our vision for the River District, because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for New Orleans," said Louis Lauricella, Co-Managing Partner, River District Neighborhood Investors.
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