Little Jazzland

A few months ago, the mayor kind of sort of talked about the possibility of demolishing the Six Flags site in East New Orleans. She said she was "running numbers" on it anyway.  Since then, the numbers may or may not have run back we don't have any info on that. What we do know is there was  a consultant's report that recommends we build a "resiliency" theme park there.

The assessment referenced by the mayor's office was commissioned by the New Orleans Business Alliance for the city and released in June. It envisions turning the site into a destination for learning about climate change, resiliency and water issues, and for family-friendly activities such as excursions to the nearby Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge or zip line courses. The analysis also points out the looming threat of coastal land loss that the region faces from the encroaching waters of the Gulf.

Zip line courses!  Look, I know that's no monorail but surely it has to be the next best thing. Good luck figuring out how to develop it, though. We only have the whole fourteen year history of stops, starts, and Scurlocks to show you how much fun that can be.

But enough about the old Jazzland. Say hello to the new.. Jazzland. 

The Cleveland company that recently scooped up two key jazz landmarks in the 400 block of South Rampart Street, a cradle of New Orleans’ most distinctive art form, has acquired a third: The Little Gem Saloon.

The GBX Group now owns the nearby Iroqouis Theater and the Karnofsky tailor shop – both of them important locations in Louis Armstrong’s young life, plus much of the rest of the block bounded by Loyola Avenue and Poydras, South Rampart and Perdido streets.

I'm so old I remember when the Jazz landmarks were going to be redeveloped by Opryland.  Whatever happened to that? It was going to be part of the downtown Disney experience.  Maybe GBX can give us something similar to that. Oh look Drew Brees is an investor.  He really knows how to pick a diamond in the rough so that's encouraging. 

Sparacia has said the hope of the investors – who include New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees – is to rebuild and restore the block in a way that reflects its unique history. For instance, the jazz landmarks could be opened as venues that feature jazz and other music, along the lines of the Little Gem, which was restored and reopened by the Bazan family beginning in 2012.

Sparacia has said GBX will probably also do some “infill” construction along the block, much of which is now occupied by surface parking lots. He said whatever is built will be in sync with the style and scale of the landmarks.

"Infill" construction "in the style of" the landmarks. Sounds like they really are going to build some DisneyNOLA type stuff.  I don't know if that's necessary but anything is better than empty parking lots.  Did they consider connecting the buildings with a zip line, though?