Kenner's New Land-Based Casino Is Underway

 Treasure Chest Casino is under construction and is located in Kenner. Last May Yates Construction put the final steel beam into place on top of the 47,000-square-foot building. This is a big deal because large construction sites such as this have a “topping off” ceremony.

Yates Construction, who is our general contractor for the project, this is kind of a celebration for that team,” Rodney Miller, director of marketing for Treasure Chest, said. “They do it to kind of recognize what they have done so far and give their team accolades. Part of that is the signing of the beam by the team, hoisting it up, and there is a flag and some kind of tree that has been traditional to place on top of that beam and set it in place.”

Boyd Gaming, the owner of the casino, has $100 million into the project. “They started construction on the new building officially in the beginning of February, when they really started putting the pilings into the ground,” Miller said. “The steel structure is just about fully completed, and that will kind of end that phase. They will then move on to the next phase and kind of laying down all the guts of the building, so to speak, the electricity, the plumbing, and starting to close it in.”

The new Treasure Chest Casino will have wider gaming floor aisles, a 10,000 square feet of meeting space, new restaurants, bars and many other spots for entertainment including a FanDuel-branded sports book.

“We’re in the process of moving our facility into our current parking lot, where we used to park our guests,” Miller said. “That is now the construction area. It’s going to be a lot bigger, a one-level casino, and parking will be right next to the building, which currently is not the case for our existing property.”

“We’re looking to hopefully open in spring of ‘24,” he said. “So we’ve got just about a year to go.”

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Tips for Choosing Window Treatments

 There are tons of different kinds of window treatments so it can be inundating to try and choose the right one. You not only want products that look good but also function in the right space. According to professionals the right window treatments can transform a room that feels too glary into one with soft, welcoming light and privacy when you need it. Here are six things to consider when choosing the right window treatments for you.

1. Insulation and Sun Protection

Did you know that around 30% of your home’s heating and cooling energy seeps out through the windows? This means that function is very important when it comes to energy efficiency. A perfect option is a shade with a honeycomb structure which will trap air keeping the room warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

2. Operating System

Motorized window treatments are very convenient. With motorized window treatments, you can adjust shade levels from a remote or an app. You can set timers for your shades to come up in the morning at a certain time and go down at a certain time in the evening.

3. Window Shape and Size

Measure twice and purchase once. You will want to measure your windows for the exact width, height, and depth. Windows are not just square or rectangular shapes but come in all different shapes and sizes. Shutters can be made to fit shapes like circles, arches and French doors while cellular shades can be made to fit triangles and trapezoids. For sliding doors roller panels, shutters and sheers are perfect for them.

4. Privacy and Light Control

Every person wants the best opacity for their needs. Sometimes you want a soft light or sometimes you want room darkening options. Shades such as cellular shades can offer both. You can control your shades to go sheer or room-darkening.

5. Room Conditions

Each room has its own environment so you want a window treatment material that is specific for the room’s environment. If you are putting a window treatment in a bathroom, it will need to be able to resist heat and humidity. A good product that will hold up against shower steam is faux wooden blinds.

6. Maintenance

You want to always carefully read the car instructions for your new window treatments. Blinds, shades and shutters will need to be dusted on a regular basis. These products can be cleaned with your vacuum cleaner. If you have delicate window treatments, you will need a professional to clean them.

Remember you want to choose a window treatment that fits you and your home’s style and architecture. If you have a transitional home, then your best choices are Roman shutters and blinds. Some stores such as Hunter Douglas have a federal tax credit on many of their energy-efficient shades.

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Things To Consider When Giving Your Closet a Makeover

 Your closet is a very important space in your home and when it comes to organizing your closet it is a must. Having this space organized helps reduce stress and helps keep your clothes looking new.

“Make space for the items that are truly important to you,” advises Jana O’Connor, Outside and Online Sales Manager for Cabinets To Go. Take everything out and edit ruthlessly. O’Connor suggests you ask yourself: ‘Have I worn this in the last six months? Am I likely to wear this in the next six months?’ If you answered no to one or both questions, donate or discard the garments. “This will allow you to accurately determine your organizing needs,” she says.

If this sounds like a good idea to you, follow these five versatile features.

1. Shelve It
Hanging your sweaters can stretch them and ruin your garment. There are several garments that must be stored on shelves. A great way to do this is to install open shelving units. Open shelving units are perfect for folded clothes, handbags, hats, belts and accessories. Remember if you are storing your sweaters on open-face shelves, lay them down flat with the front side of the sweater facing down. Next, fold one arm to the center and the other arm over the first arm into the center. Then fold the sweater in half horizontally. Once you are finished flip the sweater over and store it on the shelf.

2. Open-and-Shut Case

Drawers are another great way to keep your closet away from looking cluttered. A perfect element is a unit with both drawers on the bottom and a hanging area up top. “Consider the percentage of space required for both of you, and break it down into hanging versus shelving versus drawer space,” Jana O’Connor, Outside and Online Sales Manager for Cabinets To Go says.

3. Hang It Up

Another great option is to use a double-hanging unit with hanging rods on top of each other. The purpose of this unit is to maximize the hanging space in your closet. By doing this, it will keep your garments wrinkle-free and your closet clutter-free. This is an especially great feature to use in a reach-in closet.

4. If The Shoe Fits

Shelving is a great way to store your shoes and helps keep them looking new. They stay looking new because the circulating air lets them breathe. You can showcase your shoes on the shelves and it lets you see your options a lot easier.

5. Gem of an Idea

Your jewelry is a big part of the accessories stored in your closet. You want to keep your jewelry tucked away and safe but keep it easy to access. To do this add a jewelry storage drawer which is a slim drawer that allows you to organize rings, pins, bracelets, watches and necklaces.

Using these five design ideas helps to keep your closet organized and accessible. Whether you are working with a walk-in closet or a reach-in these tips can help you improve your closet.

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A New Emeril Lagasse Restaurant Coming to New Orleans

 Harrah’s New Orleans casino is now Caesars and will be adding a new restaurant. Emeril Lagasse will open his new casino restaurant at the casino on Canal Street in late 2023. The French-inspired restaurant will be named Brasserie and will be the first restaurant where all ages are welcome. Another first will be the outdoor dining area and a patio out front. The main entrance to Brasserie will face Canal Street and have a separate entrance from the casino.

“As my first French-influenced concept, I had so much fun creating this menu and going back to my roots to pay homage to some of my own mentors,” Lagasse said.

Before coming to New Orleans Chef Emeril was trained under chefs in Parish, France. His training from his early days will be seen through the food served at Brasserie. Dishes will include steak au poivre, onion soup, Alsatian tarte flambee, and cafe au lait creme brulee. He describes it as “a modern take on the merger of classical French influence with the flavors and spirit of New Orleans.”

The restaurant will seat over 200 which will include 29 seats at the bar area. There will be a  mix of high and low seating and classic brasserie banquettes throughout. There will be two private dining rooms and one of the private dining rooms will have a view into the kitchen.a

“We’re creating an entirely new experience at Caesars New Orleans, elevating our offerings with exciting dining, gaming and entertainment options, and Emeril will help add that little bit of local spice that we need to our premier destination,” said Samir Mowad, general manager of Harrah’s New Orleans, in a statement.

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Landmark Society's Preservation Awards

The Louisiana Landmark Society will present preservation awards for fifteen projects that were completed in 2022 in New Orleans. The ceremony will take place May 24th at the Marigny Opera House that will be receiving its own award. The awards are from projects that are located all around Orleans Parish in Uptown, the Central Business District, Algiers and New Orleans East.

“The award-winning projects have never been more diverse, representing the very best in historic preservation. Our city’s unique architectural landscape is a valuable, economic asset. These projects invest in our city making it richer in so many ways,” says Rene Fransen, president of the Louisiana Landmark Society.

Among the projects there will be a special award given to the historic masonry restorations done by Theodore Pierre and his students. They restored the tombs at Lafayette No. 2 Cemetery on Washington Ave. Students were able to use their skills of masonry, plastering, stone cutting and ironwork.

Other projects that will be awarded include:

Maison du KREWE at 619 Royal Street will be given an award. The home was built in 1795 for Zachary Taylor. The building is special because it is one of the most famous Creole buildings in the French Quarter. The project consisted of renovations that used both historical details and modern updates.

A Greek Revival townhouse at 937 Dumaine Street that was built in 1837. The project consisted of renovation of the stairs and balconies, doors and decorative hardware and installing pavers in the courtyard.

A 1910 Edwardian-style building at 2340 Dauphine Street. This building was originally the R.V. DeGruy Pharmacy and was found deteriorated before it was revitalized. The project was funded by federal and state tax incentive programs.

Martin Behrman Elementary, now known as Rose Mary Loving School, is located at 715 Opelousas Avenue and was built in 1937. The team restored the bell tower, terra cotta halls and the auditorium.

An Art-Deco-inspired auditorium located at 3820 St. Claude Avenue known as Frederick J Douglass School Auditorium. This building was closed down after Katrina and is now back to life with its original features shining. These include the ceiling, balcony and stage which is now accessible and air conditioned.

The HighRise NOLA Apartments at 632 Chef Menteur Highway which was originally a hotel. The apartment complex is eight stories and is known for its graffiti art. The apartments now serve as affordable housing and middle class housing.

The Ironworks located at 315 Girod Street is now a warehouse that was built as a storehouse in 1850. It is an example of Greek Revival style that was also a factory in the early 1900’s. The building has been renovated into a fifteen unit apartment building that also holds a hotel license and has a coffee house on the ground floor.

Formerly Lafayette School which is now Leah L. Chase School is located at 2727 Carrollton Avenue. The project included 33 classrooms, activity rooms, library, kitchen and cafeteria which was modernized. The project also included masonry repair and weatherproofing.

Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans which was also known as the Priestly School is located at 1601 Leonidas Street. The old school building and gymnasium was renovated and an additional 8,700 square feet was added.

As mentioned earlier, Marigny Opera House located at 725 St. Ferdinand Street was formerly Holy Trinity Catholic Church. The building was built in 1853 and renovations included repairs to the stucco masonry shell, installation of a standing seam metal roof, installation of photovoltaic array, restoration of the bell tower and cupola roof and restoration of the stained glass windows.

There are several others including the Eleanor McMain Secondary School Auditorium located at 5712 Claiborne Avenue, Bivian Lee Jr. Center at Son of a Saint located at 2803 St. Phillip Street,Thirty60 Lots at 3060 Dauphine Street, The Old School Apartments at 2515 Robertson Street and Orleans Parish School Facilities Master Plan. Tickets to the event can be purchased online at louisianalandmarks.org for $75.

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April Sees Drops in Mortgage Rates

 Freddie Mac released data showing that mortgage rates dropped for the fifth week in a row mid April. Homebuyers are out there taking advantage of the rates that are close to 6% and the slowdown in inflation. As of April 13, 2023 the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was around 6.27% which is down from the week before at 6.28%. This is still not as good as the rates in April 2022 which were on average 5%.

“Incoming data suggest inflation remains well above the desired level but showing signs of deceleration. These trends, coupled with tight labor markets, are creating increased optimism among prospective homebuyers as the housing market hits its peak in the spring and summer,” says Freddie Mac’s chief economist, Sam Khater.

The economy is also seeing an ease off of inflation which also helps with mortgage rates. According to the March Consumer Price Index there is still wiggle room for what professionals concluded.

“On the one hand, the fact that inflation is still running at more than twice the target level, and core inflation – which includes goods and services, excluding volatile food and energy – saw an uptick to 5.6% in March, highlights that the Fed still has more to do and may need to lift short-term rates again at its early May meeting. On the other hand, overall inflation slowed more notably, and even core inflation on a month-to-month basis eased somewhat, a sign that the Fed’s tightening is having the desired effect. Even if the Fed needs to raise short-term rates a bit higher, we are very likely nearing the end of the tightening cycle,” explained Danielle Hale, from Realtor.com.

Those that were on the brink of buying are now jumping at the opportunity. There has been an influx in applications to purchase a home according to Bob Broeksmit, MBA President and CEO. As long as the mortgage rates hold or dip lower, the buyers will come.

“Despite the huge shifts in market momentum, home sellers can count on the usual seasonal trends tipping the scales a bit further in their favor while home shoppers should expect a fair amount of competition that should ease as we move later into the year,” Hale says.

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A Historical Restoration for Sale in New Orleans

 The historic Pythian Building located in New Orleans will be up for sale soon. Dr. Erik George, who bought out his partners, has given notice to tenants that they will shift to month-to-month renewals during the sale of the building. The building, located at the intersection of Loyola Avenue and Gravier Street is 115 years old. The building underwent extensive renovations costing around $46 million in 2018.

The future of the building will be in limbo until it is sold to the new owners. The McEnery Company who is listing the building says that the listing describes the property as a  “zoning-advantaged property is uniquely well positioned for a variety of repositioning scenarios, including hotel/STR.” Current residents in the building are surprised at the potential sale of the building.

“I am shocked. Nobody told us about it. But if it happens it happens, I just have to hope for the best,” said Dorotha Smith-Simmons who is a residential tenant.

Dr. George did explain, “As we work with a real estate broker to chart a path forward for the building, we continue to engage with the City and stakeholders to find a way to honor the affordable housing vision for the property.”

In 2018 when the building was renovated, it was a catalyst to building historic buildings in the area back to life. The building is in the perfect location, close to City Hall and on the edge of the Central Business District. The renovation made the building into a modern day retail, food-service, office and apartment units.

The affordable housing was set aside for twenty of the residential units which were one, two, and three bedroom units. The extensive renovations cost a lot of money and the developers, two separate developers, sued each other. Then the pandemic caused the food hall and event space to become a financial burden. The food hall tenant was evicted due to failure to pay over $2.5 million in back rent.

The 125,000 square foot structure is a perfect historical piece of New Orleans and will probably sell pretty quickly. In fact, there are several potential buyers that show interest already.

“It’s plug and play. All it really needs is a new management and rebranding and I think all that can be taken care of in pretty short order,” McEnery explains.

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