Anybody who has shopped in Elmwood over the years remembers the Kmart. The store is long gone, and the site in Elmwood Center is about to become something the shopping district has never had: apartments.
Jefferson Parish leaders have officially broken ground on The Francis, a five-story apartment building replacing the former Kmart shopping plaza. In its Oct. 1 story on the ceremony, WDSU reported that the project is a $111 million development, and that construction crews were already working on the foundation.
"Elmwood is an area that's in really positive transition right now," the developers told WDSU.
The team and the building
Lauricella Land Company is leading the project with its partners Felicity Property Co. and Setpoint Ventures, working with the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, or JEDCO. According to the JEDCO announcement released when the construction loan closed in May, the building will have 251 units.
Here's who is doing what, according to JEDCO:
- Construction: Construction services were awarded to RNGD.
- Architecture: LRK leads the design, with interior design by Parallel.
- Financing: Hancock Whitney Bank is providing the project financing.
- Incentives: JEDCO worked with the Parish Council and the development team on a Payment In Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT, structure.
JEDCO describes one- and two-bedroom apartments, with a resort-style pool courtyard, fitness center, co-working and creative spaces, a resident library, a dog walk and other gathering areas. WDSU also listed a dog area, fitness center and conference space among the amenities.
The project will be Elmwood Center's first residential offering, according to JEDCO. Completion is expected in spring 2028.
Why Elmwood
Elmwood is the largest sales tax-producing district in Jefferson Parish, and The Francis is being built right in the middle of it. Leaders at the groundbreaking pointed to the location.
"Beautifully designed and incredibly located next to so many services and restaurants and movie theater and banking and retail. It's just, it's really the future of Elmwood," they told WDSU.
JEDCO President and CEO Jerry Bologna called the project "a significant milestone not only for Elmwood, but for the continued evolution of Jefferson Parish." He said the redevelopment reflects JEDCO's commitment "to reposition legacy commercial properties into vibrant, mixed-use environments that better support modern lifestyles, workforce needs and long-term economic growth."
District 2 Councilman Deano Bonano said in the JEDCO release that "The Francis is exactly the type of forward-looking investment we want to see in Jefferson Parish."
The project is also personal for the developers. The building is named for Francis "Hank" Lauricella, who served Jefferson Parish for more than three decades in the Louisiana House and Senate and played a big role in Elmwood's growth. Before that, he was an All-American football player at the University of Tennessee and the runner-up for the 1951 Heisman Trophy.
"My father would be very proud," said Louis Lauricella, managing partner of Lauricella Land Company, in the May release.
JEDCO says the project is expected to bring in about $3 million in construction permitting fees and building material sales tax during construction, and to support more than 200 construction and permanent jobs. It also expects long-term tax revenue to help pay for parish infrastructure and public services.
"This is all new influx. So anytime you can attract that much investment into an area, it represents a real shot in the arm for the community," leaders told WDSU.
And The Francis may be just the start. Next door, Lauricella Land Company is planning a 70,000-square-foot expansion of Elmwood Center's retail and dining.
W. Patrick Schindler of Felicity Property Co. described the group as "a design-driven development team" whose goal "is to create a community with quality materials and amenities that enhance the resident experience."
Why it matters for Contractors
A five-story building with about 250 apartments is a big job for the New Orleans area, with more than 200 jobs tied to construction and operations. With RNGD holding the construction contract, subcontractors in framing, concrete, MEP, roofing, drywall, flooring, cabinets and finishes should get to know RNGD's team now that the foundation is underway. Amenity spaces like a pool courtyard and co-working areas add specialty work for pool, landscape and interior contractors. And with a 70,000-square-foot retail expansion planned next door, contractors who do good work on The Francis could be well placed for the next phase of Elmwood Center.