NEW ORLEANS — Pontchartrain Beach on the lakefront could soon have a new life.
On Saturday, nearby residents had the opportunity to voice their opinions on computer-generated images of the new plan that the Pontchartrain Beach Foundation described as, “a beautifully designed recreational area that will accommodate a wide range of activities.”
While many residents seemed to be on board with the proposal, Lake Oaks Civic Association President Phalon Cornist said the foundation has not always stuck to what they say.
“The problem is the Lake Pontchartrain Beach Foundation has made promises; they have not fulfilled those promises,” Cornist said. “We just want them to build the beach responsibly, we want security.”
The beach first opened as an amusement park in 1939. This was its second location after an initial public beach and amusement park opened in 1928 across Bayou St. John from the old Spanish Fort.
Pontchartrain Beach had been segregated until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, before that Lincoln Beach had been the lakefront attraction for Black Americans.
In 1983, the amusement park shut down and the beach has been idle ever since.
Last year, the Pontchartrain Beach Foundation described the area as a “dangerous, unsightly and environmentally hazardous home to vagrants and rodents.”