By the end of this year, e. ross studios Jazzland is expected to flip the switch at the long-abandoned Six Flags/Jazzland site in New Orleans East, turning a Katrina-scarred graveyard of rides into a working film-and-entertainment campus. The studio move, led by Emmy Award-winning composer Elvin Ross, is the first major phase in Bayou Phoenix's effort to revive 227 acres with production facilities, sports complexes, and water-park attractions where weeds and rusted metal have dominated since 2005. For nearby residents and city officials, the studio timetable is the clearest sign yet that the long-discussed site may finally come back to life.
Studio Will Lead 227-Acre Redevelopment
In March 2025, Ross and his company, E. Ross Studios, signed on to run a roughly 25-acre production campus within the Bayou Phoenix master plan, as reported by New Orleans CityBusiness. The studio is slated to be the project's first operational tenant and could be ready by the end of this year. Developers say they want the campus to blend music, film, and technology in a way that pulls new projects and fresh jobs into New Orleans East rather than sending them elsewhere.
According to e. ross studios, the complex is planned to include sound stages, mills, set storage, a backlot, and an education arm focused on training local talent. The studio's materials highlight local hiring, apprenticeships, and community-facing programs, which the developers describe as a way to make sure production work translates into neighborhood paychecks and opportunities.
Demolition And Assessments Underway
Demolition of the decayed rides and support buildings kicked off in late 2024 and continued into early 2025, with crews taking down more than 60 structures as the site moves into facility condition assessments, WAFB reported. The station notes that developers are evaluating soil and foundation conditions and are still in the market for operators to run the sports complex and hotels that are supposed to wrap around the studio campus. Those practical surveys will shape where buildings can safely go and how each construction phase lines up on the calendar.
What Developers Want To Build
The Bayou Phoenix conceptual master plan lays out a 185,000-square-foot indoor sports complex with eight NBA-size courts, 16 volleyball courts, and a championship arena, plus about 30 acres of lit synthetic outdoor fields, an indoor water park, two hotels, and roughly 100,000 square feet of retail and dining, according to New Orleans CityBusiness. Developers say the rollout is designed in phases: studios first, then sports and lodging, with retail and dining bringing up the rear. If they land the operators they are courting, the team is targeting major openings between 2026 and 2028.
Approval, Ownership And Next Steps
The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority holds title to the land and has approved the Bayou Phoenix master plan, a key administrative green light for the project, WWL reported. The authority negotiated the ground lease and that city leaders have signaled support for infrastructure upgrades to prepare the site for private development. Those public approvals and commitments matter as the team works to lock in operator agreements and seeks potential public dollars for drainage and road access.
Bayou Phoenix identifies Henry Consulting and TKTMJ Inc. as the local partners steering the private development and pitches the project as locally owned and job-creating, according to a presentation on Bayou Phoenix. The materials include renderings and a downloadable master plan that sketch out the phased schedule and the sales pitch built around tournament sports, production work, and family recreation.
Developers say the next moves hinge on finalizing operator deals and completing the facility condition assessments, and they add that the studio announcement has already drawn interest from production and technology companies. In a statement obtained by WAFB, Elvin Ross said, "Some of the A-I companies want to come here and work with us, technology is big for us and then there’s entertainment. Imagine being able to come here and enjoy concerts and open air." For New Orleans East, the Bayou Phoenix buildout will be a high-profile test of whether long-vacant acreage can finally be converted into stable jobs, steady visitors, and something more than a storm-damaged landmark on the interstate.
