NEW ORLEANS — In a sign of how New Orleans’ tourism economy has floundered post-pandemic, the newly renovated Riverboat Louis Armstrong is now up for sale.
Just three years after opening for business to high-end convention visitors and positioned at a prime spot at the end of Poydras Street, the riverboat entertainment venue has shut down and is looking for a buyer, according to our partners at The Times-Picayune.
The riverboat owner and CEO of Hospitality Enterprises New Orleans, Warren Reuther Jr., tells the newspaper that the pandemic’s negative impact on the city’s convention business has taken a toll on the boat’s potential as an entertainment attraction for visitors.
“The timing with the pandemic certainly did not help,” Reuther tells our partners. “The boat was built and designed to be a convention boat for entertaining conventioneers and that didn’t happen. So, we decided to try to sell it and see what kind of offers we get.”
The boat is listed for sale for nearly $16 million and Reuther says it could reopen for business. The boat's offering memorandum lists the fair market value at $31 million.
“We have all the Coast Guard requirements in order, and it’s ready to go. But it’s not likely,” Reuther said.
The 19th-century sidewheel riverboat replica was built in 1995 and was operated by Indiana-based Tropicana Entertainment until 2017. It was rechristened as the Riverboat Louis Armstrong in 2019.
The boat was then acquired by New Orleans Paddlewheels which also operates the riverboat Creole Queen.
The Louis Armstrong features meeting spaces, dinners, and space to accommodate weddings and banquets.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.