New Orleans, Jefferson Parish finalize West End redevelopment terms

New Orleans and Jefferson Parish have finalized terms for a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement covering the long-dormant West End lakefront site, moving the property into a formal redevelopment process without approving a specific project.

The city announced the agreement July 16. Separately, Louisiana lawmakers created the West End Economic Development District through Act 590, formerly House Bill 892. The law took effect July 1, 2026.

What Act 590 creates

Act 590 establishes the West End Economic Development District as a political subdivision within parts of Orleans and Jefferson parishes. The district is intended to give the two governments a shared structure for planning and managing redevelopment at the site.

The district will be governed by a five-member board. The law assigns appointments to officials from Jefferson Parish and New Orleans, but the board’s formation and appointments remain important next steps.

The district’s legal powers include entering contracts and cooperative agreements, as well as acquiring property by purchase, gift, grant, donation or lease when needed to carry out its objectives. Those powers could support proposal requests, negotiations with potential developers and future property agreements.

A possible tax is not yet in place

Act 590 authorizes the district to levy and collect a sales and use tax of up to 2 percent within its boundaries. The law provides authority for a future tax; it does not impose an adopted tax automatically.

The statute says the tax would be imposed by a resolution of the district board. The City of New Orleans also says voter approval would be required. Residents should therefore treat the tax as a possible later measure, not a current increase in the cost of purchases.

The eventual use of any tax revenue, along with the project’s financing and public costs, has not been determined.

What happens next

The next milestones are the district’s formation, board appointments and the start of a proposal process. WDSU reported that officials expect the district could begin accepting proposals and select one in early 2027, but that timing is an expectation rather than a firm deadline established by the agreement or the statute.

Local reporting has described possible community preferences for restaurants, recreation and other lakefront uses. Those ideas are not committed plans. No developer, selected proposal, construction schedule or completed project has been announced.

What remains undecided

The agreement gives New Orleans and Jefferson Parish a structure for making future decisions, but it does not settle what will be built at West End. The final design, developer, costs, financing, infrastructure responsibilities, public benefits and construction timeline all remain open.

For residents and nearby businesses, the next meaningful change will be the creation of the joint board and the release of any formal request for redevelopment proposals. Those documents should provide the first detailed indication of what officials are seeking and what financial commitments may be required.

Sources

• City of New Orleans West End agreement announcement
• Louisiana Legislature enrolled HB 892 / Act 590
• WDSU West End agreement report