The MYHMC Board voted in 2022 to contract with the Stone Pigman Law firm to develop West End Lakeshore Park.  In May 2023, it increased that contract to include a subcontract to HR&A Advisors “to market and feasibility analysis and solicitation preparation and development.”

Residents had asked to see a copy of the HR&A Contract and been denied. A Public Records request was filed by Charles Marsala with the City Attorney ruling to produce the contract.

The three-page document has almost a full-page advising HR&A that the MYHMC is claiming Attorney-Client Privilege on documents that MYHMC is will be supplying to HR&A via Stone Pigman to perform the duties of the contract. Residents have questioned if the MYHMC board hired Stone Pigman to create attorney-client privilege and prevent residents from reviewing the data being given to Stone Pigman.

Previous feasibility studies performed the Regional Planning Commission in 2007, 2012, and 2017 concluded the area to be “saturated in bars and restaurants.” A 2022, report by the Hackett Group for the MYHMC agreed with those findings.

A majority of the MYHMC board has been leaning to develop the park, while the residents of West End and nearby Lakeview and Bucktown responded with over 85% wanting to retain the park and open space. The board is chaired by former New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell. The previous board was replaced with new board members approximately two-years ago.

Several restaurants that were over the water and in Jefferson Parish were destroyed twenty-five years ago by Hurricane Georges. Council Member Joseph Giarrusso and State Representative Stephanie Hilferty have been pushing through legislation to convert the West End Lakeshore Park lease and Zoning into a commercial development and open the park to commercial development.

Marsala, who is a challenging Hilferty for the State Representative Seat, has been working to keep the park as open space for recreation and wildlife habitat. The Hayride has been reporting on the West End Lakeshore Park political debate for the last two years.

Marsala has offered that rather than spend the Marina’s reserves on more feasibility studies, they should have been used to obtain 2 to 1 and 3 to 1 matching grants for environmental and recreational uses. From the 1980s to 2005, adjoining West End Lake Shore Park was Mickey Retif Playspot, which provided recreation. The Army Corps Pumping station has taken over that land. Many residents would like to see the recreation returned to the park as opposed to bars and video poker.