Demolition is underway at the shuttered Six Flags theme park in New Orleans, with developers now clearing the site for a mixed-use project.
Nearly two decades after the park was closed due to Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans-based Smoot Construction has started to dismantle the site’s unsalvageable structures, developer Troy Henry told the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate.
The Bayou Phoenix development group, which took control of the former Six Flags site last year, will provide more updates on the project at an event on 12 November.
“It’s a good thing,” says developer
“It’s a good thing. It’s a happy day,” Henry said on Monday (4 November). “We’re excited about the progress, we’re happy to see the ball rolling.”
Bayou Phoenix’s plan for the 227-acre site, which was approved in 2023, includes hotels, a water park, a youth sports facility, an amphitheater, retail outlets, an 8.5-acre man-made lake, and a film studio.
First opened as Jazzland in 2000, the abandoned theme park was acquired by Six Flags in 2002. The group invested $20 million in upgrades and reopened the park as Six Flags New Orleans in 2003
Project could cost up to $1bn
However, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Six Flags New Orleans never reopened. Bayou Phoenix was selected as the developer for the property in October 2021. Project costs have been estimated at between $500m and nearly $1 billion.
Details are currently limited, but Henry said developers have reached an agreement with one of three “anchor tenants” for the site’s core projects. Discussions are underway with potential tenants for the other anchor projects.
News that crews have started demolition on the property was first reported by Axios New Orleans.
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