NEW ORLEANS — After much fanfare in awarding a contract to develop the long-shuttered Six Flags site in New Orleans East, it looks like once again plans could be in peril as there have been delays in getting a lease agreement with the city of New Orleans.
Bayou Phoenix, which won the bidding process to redevelop the former theme park, said there is concern that the project could be delayed or altered due to the delay, something it says has plagued potential developers in the past.
Developers say that additional delays could chase away potential developers who may not see the project coming together at all. Plans originally called for a water park, sports complex, retail center and film studio.
“We need to be in a position to begin entering into negotiations with hotels, with water park designers and operators, all of those different venues… but we can’t do any of that until we have site control… We’re going to need that in pretty short order,” said Troy Henry of Bayou Phoenix.
Bayou Phoenix says it needs to receive the title and work out a lease with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority.
If a lease can be agreed upon, developers hope the project could be open in 2025 or 2026.
The Six Flags theme park site has been vacant since Hurricane Katrina 17 years ago. It has been used some in movie shoots but has otherwise just sat and festered.
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