Hunky former trash king/current French Quarter safety advocate Sidney Torres IV is planning a big development project in Bayou St. John, adjacent to the burgeoning Lafitte Greenway. According to a press release from his firm IV Capital, Torres — who most recently developed a picturesque Bahamian resort — bought a nine-acre plot of land and plans to develop it into a "high-end, mixed-use residential and commercial community."
Friday's press release says the development for the 380,000 square-feet area will be modeled after Florida's Alys Beach, while still keeping with New Orleans architecture styles. Torres envisions "apartments and houses, kayaks and paddleboards along the bayou, fire pits on the bank, children's playgrounds as well as bike paths, a gymnasium, café and boutique hotel" for the development, as well as "substantial portions of the community to be closed to vehicular traffic with walkways for pedestrians and bicycles only," but he also wants New Orleanians to "bring their best ideas to the table" for the space. No matter what you propose, Torres promises to bring his "signature intensity" to the project.
The press release doesn't include a timeline for the project, but the two developments the IV Capital project is meant to serve are near completion: The Lafitte Greenway is slated to be done this summer, and the University Medical Center anchoring Mid-City's new medical district is opening next month.
· SDT Waste & Debris to be acquired by IESI Corp. [NOLA.com]
· Press [IV Capital]
· Lafitte Greenway is 94 Percent Done, According to City [Curbed NOLA]
· New Hospital Wants You to Feel Like You're at a W Hotel [Curbed NOLA]