The park at the center of this story was Jazzland when it opened in New Orleans East in 2000. Six Flags later operated it as Six Flags New Orleans, and it never reopened after Hurricane Katrina closed it in 2005. The rides and amusement structures are now gone. The land is owned by the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA), which is working with a developer, Bayou Phoenix, on a multi-phase mixed-use redevelopment. That redevelopment is a set of plans and targets, not a restored theme park.
How the park got here: a timeline
The City of New Orleans’ public FAQ on Jazzland and Six Flags is the most direct official account of the park’s history. The table below uses its dates alongside later agency and news reports.
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Jazzland opens on 140 acres in New Orleans East at a stated cost of $130 million. | City of New Orleans FAQ |
| 2002 | Six Flags, Inc. buys Jazzland out of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for $69 million, adds rides, and operates the park as Six Flags New Orleans. | City of New Orleans FAQ |
| 2005 | The park closes for Hurricane Katrina and does not reopen. | City of New Orleans FAQ |
| 2009 | The City terminates its 75-year lease with Six Flags. | City of New Orleans FAQ |
| 2011 | An outlet mall proposal is withdrawn. | City of New Orleans FAQ |
| 2021 | The City selects Bayou Phoenix as developer. | City of New Orleans FAQ |
| 2023 | The Industrial Development Board transfers title to NORA. | City of New Orleans FAQ |
| 2025 | Demolition removes the former rides and amusement equipment. The City approves $5 million for site preparation. | NORA project update; NOLA.com report hosted by NORA |
| Early 2026 | The project moves into facility-condition assessment. | NORA 2026 project update, attributed to New Orleans CityBusiness |
Why it never reopened
The City attributes the long post-storm flooding to a pump failure. It says 4 to 7 feet of water remained on the grounds for about a month after Katrina, and that the park never reopened after that. The FAQ describes the closure as a result of the storm and the flooding that followed, not of a decision to shut down the operation on business grounds. The distinction matters for anyone trying to understand why the site sat idle for two decades: the park was not closed for lack of visitors, and it was not replaced by a continuous plan. It was caught in a disaster and then in a long chain of failed or unrealized proposals.
Who owns the site now
NORA owns the property. The Industrial Development Board transferred title to NORA in 2023, after the City had terminated the lease with Six Flags in 2009 and had pursued several redevelopment routes. Bayou Phoenix is the selected developer, which means it holds the development role under a development agreement and a draft lease. It does not own the land.
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The path to the current arrangement involved more than one attempt. The City’s FAQ describes an outlet mall proposal that was withdrawn in 2011, a later request for proposals that did not produce proposals with solid financial backing, and additional proposals and agreements that did not lead to prompt redevelopment. Readers should treat this as a series of separate efforts, not one approved plan that was carried out in stages.
What has been removed and what remains
NORA’s 2026 project update reports that the former rides and amusement equipment were demolished in 2025. Nothing in the reviewed sources indicates that any original park attraction is still operating or open to the public. What remains is cleared land, drainage and site systems that are being restored, and the planning work that follows.
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What is planned, and how firm each item is
The proposed redevelopment is described in three sources: NORA’s 2026 project update, the City-linked agency report on public site work, and Bayou Phoenix’s own project website and conceptual master plan. The table separates the stated targets from the components as described. The dates are the developer’s targets as reported by NORA, not binding commitments.
| Component | Stated target (as reported) | Stated specification | Status in the latest source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Film and production studio, operated by E. Ross Studios under an agreement signed in March 2025 | Studio by end of 2026 | 25 acres | Construction was expected to begin later in 2026, after facility assessments were finalized (NORA, 2026) |
| Sports complex | By mid-2028 | 185,000 sq ft indoor complex plus outdoor fields | Proposed design; not built (NORA, 2026) |
| Hotel, water park, retail and dining | By end of 2028 | Indoor water park; hotel; retail and dining | Proposed; operator agreements were being pursued (NORA, 2026) |
| Family beach | Not stated | Eight-acre family beach | Proposed design element (NORA, 2026) |
| Family entertainment center and movie production studio | Not stated | Part of the conceptual master plan | Conceptual; described by Bayou Phoenix on its project website |
NORA’s 2026 update states that the timing for these components depends on the facility assessments and on operator and tenant arrangements. Any date in the table should be read as a target that could move.
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Public money and what it does and does not cover
NORA reports that the City agreed to provide $5 million for site stabilization and preparation. The payments are staged: $1 million within 45 days of the agreement and $4 million in January 2026. The money is designated for drainage, startup expenses, and making the land developable. The agency-hosted report on the council action describes planned work such as restoring pumps and catch basins, drainage, lighting, and fencing.
That establishes that public money has been committed to infrastructure and site preparation. It does not establish that the full proposed development is financed. The sources reviewed do not report total project cost, private investment commitments, jobs created, visitor projections, or economic impact that has been realized.
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What the developer and agency have said
In NORA’s 2026 update, Troy Henry, the Bayou Phoenix developer, is quoted: “We are excited about our progress,” said Henry. “This is a critical year for us to see the first steps of our vision finally coming into place.” That is the developer’s assessment. It is not independent confirmation that construction has started or that the project is fully funded.
In the agency-hosted report on the council action, Henry describes the public role this way: “The role of this public-private partnership is for the city to assist with the stabilization of the property. We’re not asking them to be investors necessarily in a hotel or something like that, but assisting with the infrastructure necessary to get the site into a developable condition is really the primary role we envision for the city and NORA.” That is a statement of the developer’s view of public funding. The executed agreement’s terms control what the city has actually agreed to.
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Can the public visit the site?
No. The City says the property is available for short- and long-term rental on a conditional basis, through a written request to NORA, and that formal permission requires an agreement. The City also states that unauthorized entry is prohibited and that violators may be prosecuted. The site is not a public attraction, and it should not be approached for exploration or photography without written permission.
What is established and what is not
- Established by the City: the opening year, cost, acreage, purchase price, flood duration and cause, lease termination, and title transfers.
- Established by NORA’s 2026 update: the 2025 demolition, the March 2025 studio agreement, the 25-acre studio parcel, and the developer’s target dates.
- Established by the City-linked report: the $5 million site-preparation commitment and its staged payment schedule.
- Not established by these sources: that the studio or any other new facility has opened, that the full project is financed, or that jobs, visitors, or revenue have been delivered.
Because the most recent agency update is dated 2026 and the schedules it lists run through the end of 2028, any reader checking on the site should look for newer NORA announcements before assuming a target has been met.
Quick Recap
Practical takeaways for readers
- Do not expect to visit the former park. No operating attractions remain.
- Do not describe the redevelopment as a Six Flags reopening. Six Flags does not appear in the current plans as an operator.
- Attribute every proposed use, acreage, and date to its named source and label it as planned.
- Tickets, booking links, or current availability should not be assumed for any proposed venue until operators are confirmed and the facilities are open.
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