Restaurants, live entertainment, retail shops envisioned
Kenner is moving to annex almost 80 acres along Lake Pontchartrain as part of its plan to attract restaurants, live entertainment and retail shops to Laketown. The Jefferson Parish Council is scheduled to vote on the annexation Wednesday, followed by the Kenner City Council on Dec. 20. It would be the biggest step forward in Laketown's development since Kenner annexed the lighthouse area and the Treasure Chest casino's berth in 1994.
The proposal calls for Kenner to take in almost 30 acres east of the existing Laketown. This area is part of Lake Pontchartrain but, in the long run, would be reclaimed from the water for development.
Another almost 60 acres proposed for annexation is west of the existing Laketown and is mostly land, with some water bottoms. Kenner has already developed part of this area for walking trails, a fishing pier and picnic areas, but it never annexed the property from the parish.
Both plots are owned by the state, which has signed off on the annexation. In 2011, the Legislature agreed to allow commercial development on its Laketown property.
The city's strategic plan, called Kenner 2030, places great emphasis on the commercial, marine and high-density residential potential of Laketown and nearby areas. In June, Kenner lured the Coconut Beach sand volleyball complex from New Orleans to Joe Yenni Boulevard just south of Laketown, and the strategic plan envisions nearby stores, entertainment, apartments or condominiums and hotels with conference centers.
Restaurants, too, are a priority, since Hurricane Katrina and the Army Corps of Engineers wiped out New Orleans' West End Park and the Bucktown peninsula, Kenner Mayor Mike Yenni said. "You can't eat anywhere on the lake," he said Monday.
Once the annexation is complete, Yenni said, the next step is for the state to advertise for a master developer to plan and build out the Laketown expansion.