A bitter legal fight between two childhood friends turned business partners has burst into public view and put the fate of The Batture, the 10-acre riverfront project in Uptown New Orleans, squarely in the spotlight. Co-founder Casey Burka has filed a civil suit against fellow co-founder Ben Jacobson, accusing him of breaching their operating agreements and improperly diverting money tied to the site. The dispute has rattled vendors, members of the on-site coworking space and investors who helped fund the overhaul of the former salvage yard.
What the court filings allege
Burka's complaint, filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court on June 2, claims Jacobson steered rents from food trucks and the farmers market to a separate company he controls and kept Batture revenue for his own benefit. The filings say investors put up roughly $12 million to help buy and renovate the property and that certain attractions, including a petting zoo run by Jacobson’s wife, operated without formal leases while collecting fees into a personal Venmo account. Judge Veronica Henry denied Burka’s emergency requests for an injunction while the case moves forward, according to NOLA.
What The Batture is
The Batture is a privately run riverfront site that opened in 2025 and has been programmed with food trucks, weekend pop-ups, a farmers market and a small coworking hub called The Rigs. Batture.com lays out the project’s mission to activate the riverfront and lists hours, vendors and programming geared toward families and small businesses, and Axios covered the venue's soft opening last year. On weekdays The Rigs offers private offices and shared desks for local entrepreneurs, while on weekends the site functions more like a relaxed public gathering spot along the river.
Ownership and the split
Documents attached to the suit and an operating agreement show that Jacobson holds an 85% ownership stake in the holding company, with Burka at 10% and Jared Davidson at 5%. They also say the Ben + Burka partnership, formed in 2013, is being dissolved after 13 years. Burka alleges Jacobson backed away from promises to bring in revenue-generating tenants and instead routed income to a new entity called Riverland Ventures. Jacobson has denied the claims in court filings. Those ownership percentages and the dissolution notice appear in the court documents, as reported by NOLA.
What it means for workers and vendors
For now The Batture remains open for scheduled weekend programming, and the Crescent City Farmers Market is still operating on Tuesdays. Behind the scenes, though, vendors and staff say the litigation has injected uncertainty into hiring and leasing plans. The developers bought the former Bisso Marine salvage yard with plans to use private investment and bank financing to convert it into a riverfront park, according to Biz New Orleans, and recent job listings show operations roles were still being recruited this spring. Community leaders and investors have said they expect clearer answers on finances as the case plays out.
Legal implications and next steps
With the initial injunctive requests denied, Burka will have to press his claims through the normal civil process, which includes discovery and potentially a trial. The complaint seeks an accounting and other relief tied to how the partnership is governed. The outcome will likely hinge on how a judge interprets the operating agreement and whether the court finds evidence of self-dealing or breaches of fiduciary duty. A resolution could take months, and any judicial order that changes governance or awards damages would shape who controls the site and how tenants are paid.
Both sides remain in litigation, and the next court dates have not been publicly scheduled. The parties are expected to return to Orleans Parish Civil District Court as the case develops. We will monitor filings and local reaction and update readers as major developments emerge.
