Construction crews are about to start vertical construction on a five-story apartment building planned for the site of the old Kmart, which had become a Spirit Halloween by 2018. The project, known as The Francis, will include 251 apartments once complete, marking a visible turning point for the parcel after the former store's temporary use as a Spirit Halloween.
Business and community leaders gathered at the site for a ceremony and press conference to mark the milestone, according to WWL Louisiana. RNGD division leader Joe Yenni said the area had not seen a development like this in years, telling those gathered that the project will improve the community. RNGD is building the apartment complex, which will include amenities such as a pool and a fitness center.
Reporting on the exact unit count has varied. WDSU describes The Francis as a $111 million, 250-unit apartment complex, while Biz New Orleans and New Orleans CityBusiness both report the development as a five-story, 251-unit project. A Jefferson Parish agenda document separately describes the project as an approximately 251-unit market-rate apartment complex.
From Vacant Big-Box Store to Active Job Site
The Elmwood Kmart closed in 2017, part of a wave in which the retailer's parent company shuttered more than 100 stores nationwide that year. The building did not disappear right away — Google Maps showed the former Kmart had become a Spirit Halloween by 2018 — before the structure was finally demolished, with the building gone by 2022. Plans for The Francis were being laid out between 2018 and 2022 as the site sat largely unused.
Construction crews broke ground on the site in late May, and the project is now moving into its next phase. New Orleans CityBusiness reported that construction crews are currently working on the foundation, with vertical construction expected to begin soon. The Francis will offer one- and two-bedroom apartments along with a resort-style pool courtyard, co-working and creative spaces, a resident library, a dog walk and community gathering areas, according to the same outlet.
Economic Pitch Behind the Project
Officials have framed the development as more than new housing. JEDCO President and CEO Jerry Bologna said the development aims to bring a young workforce to the area, attract talent and increase the parish tax base. He also said the investment would significantly benefit the community, and that the project is currently under budget and ahead of schedule.
JEDCO worked with the Jefferson Parish Council to assemble an incentives package for the development, which included a tax break during construction and for several years afterward. The project is expected to generate roughly $3 million in construction permitting fees and building-material sales-tax revenue during construction, per the same account, and is projected to support more than 200 construction and permanent jobs.
A Name With Local Roots, and a Shopping Center Expanding Alongside It
The Francis is named in honor of Francis “Hank” Lauricella, according to Biz New Orleans. Lauricella Land Company is separately planning a 70,000-square-foot expansion of Elmwood Center's retail and dining offerings adjacent to the apartment complex, adding more shopping and restaurant space to the surrounding commercial hub.
The redevelopment follows a broader pattern of aging shopping centers across the metro area being reimagined as mixed-use destinations blending housing with retail, dining and entertainment, as NOLA.com has noted. Nearby Clearview City Center took a similar path, adding a 270-unit apartment complex called The Metro alongside a large Ochsner medical facility. The Francis itself represents a scaled-back version of an earlier vision for the Elmwood site, which at one point called for 500 apartments atop 85,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space before plans were revised.
Leaders said the development is expected to bring jobs and sustainable tax revenue to the area as construction continues. With completion anticipated in spring 2028, the Elmwood corridor is set for its most significant residential addition in years, transforming a site that sat empty for the better part of a decade into an active construction zone once again.
