Land Near Superdome Could Be Used For Entertainment District

Superdome Could Become Centerpiece Of New Entertainment District

The Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District (LSED), the agency that runs the Superdome and New Orleans Arena, has "taken tentative steps toward purchasing a major piece of downtown real estate near the stadiums that eventually could become a glittering entertainment district with bars, sports-themed restaurants and other attractions," according to Kate Moran of the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE. LSED "hopes by the end of the week to sign an option agreement for the New Orleans Centre, a group of three buildings" across the street from the Superdome. LSED and the Hertz group, which owns the Centre, have "settled on a rough purchase price of $45[M]" for the complex. The option "gives the state 75 days to inspect the buildings, after which time it can purchase them or walk away from the deal with no obligation." SMG Regional VP Doug Thornton, whose firm operates the Superdome and New Orleans Arena, said that LSED "wanted to create a destination for fans that extended beyond the walls of the two stadiums as other cities have done." Thornton added that a "comparable entertainment district could make New Orleans more attractive as a host city for national sporting events like the Super Bowl." He also said that it would "help secure the longevity of the Superdome" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 7/16).