A luxury timeshare property opens at 144 Elk Place next month

On June 15, Florida-based timeshare company Bluegreen Vacations will open The Marquee, a luxury resort in the former Elk Medical Plaza building.

Bluegreen Vacations acquired the 130,000-square-foot building from Baton Rouge developer Mike Wampold last year for $27.6 million, according to reporting from The New Orleans Advocate. Wampold bought the 17-story building (formerly known as the Elk Medical Plaza) in 2011 and gave it a $20 million makeover, intending to turn it into luxury apartments. That did not pan out for a number of reasons, including the cooling of the luxury rental market.

The commercial high rise now includes more than 90 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, a rooftop pool, a gym, and some bells and whistles via augmented reality apps.

Timothy Schwering of Bluegreen Vacations, local architecture firm SCNZ, interior designer Van Dresser, general contractor Woodward Design+Build and A/V Design + Integration firm Electrosonic collaborated to create the suites’ sleek, high-tech design.

“We set out to provide our owners and guests with a one-of-a-kind stay that fully immerses them in New Orleans’ history and makes them the center of the experience by incorporating unique virtual and augmented reality and design elements,” said Shawn Pearson, president and CEO of Bluegreen Vacations.

Units range from 525 to 1,935 square feet in size, and all include full kitchens and parking garage access. The building sits a block off Canal Street in the CBD, near the Loyola/Rampart streetcar line.