Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Schwegmann Plaza New Orleans East



This shopping center at Bullard Rd & I-10 is one of the surprising casualties of the Hurricane. The center was very popular before the Hurricane and at a great location. Only Pep Boys and some of the restaurants have returned to the center. The rest of the center is overgrown with weeds and small trees waiting for a rebirth. Since most of the retail along Read Blvd & I-10 was wiped out by the hurricane I am surprised that this center has not been reopened.

This is the namesake of the shopping center a former Schwegmann supermarket that closed in 1999. This operated as a Sav A Center market until Hurricane Katrina flooded out the site. The back of the center is fenced off to vehicles.



This was where the Big Lots formerly McFrugals operated. There were also some small retail stores in this section of the center.



Circuit City closed before the hurricane.




Toy's R Us another casualty of the Hurricane.



On the outer ring of the center; yet another casualty of Hurricane Katrina the Taco Bell. The Taco Bell was consolidated with the KFC a couple of buildings down saving space. There is also a McDonald's and a buffet on the outer ring that are open.


6 comments:

  1. Hi! My name is Adam Rosenberg and I'm working with WulfTeam Productions to create a documentary about Circuit City. I came accross your great photos of an abandoned CC building above and would love to use 1 or 2 in the documentary.

    Please let me know if this would be ok. You
    would of course be creditied for your excellent photo. Email me at asr2e@virginia.edu or visit our website: http://circuitcitystory.com if you have any questions.

    Thanks a lot,
    Adam Rosenberg

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  2. Unreal. I loved those shopping areas, and this is the result? New Orleans East is nothing now.

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    Replies
    1. The Circuit City is now a Big Lots, but the rest of the center looks mostly the same and is rotting away. A new Walmart opened up across the street where the small hospital was previously located. The area around Read Blvd still has not recovered either.

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    2. Thanks for the update...but what a shame. It was once such a beautiful area, and the prime of my childhood shopping days with the family.

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    3. It is much better than it was 5 years ago, but there is still so much left to fix. Many houses in the area now have solar panels on the roof and look much nicer than before. There are also still lots of boarded up houses too waiting for someone to fix them up.

      Hopefully more stores will come to the area, especially at the Plaza site. The mall was supposed to be rebuilt as an outdoor mall, but only Lowe's and Walgreens put stores there. The cinema is still abandoned behind the Lowe's and looks terrible.

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    4. Thanks again. I read of the embezzlement issues regarding the Cinema and plaza mall. Only God can forgive debts that huge.

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