The years-long transformation of the former Clearview Mall into a mixed-use complex with new shops, restaurants and apartments will take a major step forward in the coming weeks, when demolition begins on the nearly 60-year old structure.
Earlier this month, Zea Rotisserie & Bar relocated from the main portion of the old mall to a new freestanding restaurant building across the parking lot, clearing the way for the shopping center to meet the wrecking ball.
The demolition, which is expected to be complete by November, is the latest of several developments in the $100 million overhaul of the mid-century shopping center, which has been rebranded as Clearview City Center.
In late 2024, a 270-unit apartment complex on the 35-acre site, the Metro at Clearview, was completed and welcomed its first tenants. It’s now 99% occupied. A year earlier, Ochsner opened a a three-story medical facility on the site of the former Sears.
Now, the Richards family, which has owned the property since it opened in 1969, is turning its attention to what the newly imagined retail portion of the center will look like once demolition of the old mall is complete. Thomas Richards, the head of the family company managing the project, said plans are still being finalized, but he confirmed that the family has signed a lease with a major national retailer.
“We have a lot of interested people, so I’m excited to start the leasing. That’s the fun part for me,” said Richards, a third-generation owner.
A stretch of Clearview City Center closes for demolition in Metairie, La., Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
Demand for development
Plans to transform the 35-acre property have been in the works since 2019, when Richards announced a $100 million project to redevelop the site into a mixed-use complex. The project is intended to revitalize the mall, which languished from declining foot traffic, as consumer habits changed and more of the retail landscape shifted online.
The original plan included demolishing the mall and rebuilding 230,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, and adding surrounding development projects, including an apartment building, office space and a hotel. Over the past few years, the pieces have been gradually coming together.
One component is the Metro at Clearview, a $55 million, high-end apartment complex built on top of a former parking lot. The five-story building, located in the southeast corner of the city center lot, began leasing to tenants in November 2024.
The building has experienced high demand for its units, according to Andrew Schwarz, founder and CEO of Audubon, the manager for the complex, despite monthly rents that mirror prices in upscale buildings downtown and in the Warehouse District. Monthly rents for studios to three-bedrooms range from $1,545 up to $3,546, according to figures posted on online.
Since opening, the 270-unit complex has consistently had occupancy rates averaging in the upper 90s, Schwarz said. Tenants include medical professionals, engineers and those who maintain a second residence in New Orleans for work or travel.
“It’s a unique property for Jefferson Parish, and we did think demand would be there for such a high-end product,” Schwarz said.
A rendering of the interior common space at The Metro at Clearview, a 270-unit apartment complex which will have rents running from about $1,500 a month for studios to $3,250 and above for three-bedroom units.
Another relatively new development at Clearview, the nearby Ochsner Medical Complex, has helped drive the demand for additional housing and stimulate nearby activity.
The local health care system built and opened a $115 million outpatient medical facility nearly three years ago on a site that once had been a Sears location, one of Clearview’s original anchor tenants.
Today, the 190,000 square foot facility employs 250 staff members and includes primary care and specialty clinics, a vision center and imaging center, among other services.
The combination of new employees in the area amid a broader housing shortage has likely fueled demand for the apartments, according to commercial broker Larry Schedler, who specializes in multifamily.
“You’ve seen a general reduction in the number of apartments being built right now because of the shortage of land and the higher cost of building,” he said. “That’s helped keep apartment occupancy levels full.”
Smaller retailers have also moved into the site in recent years, including Regions Bank, which opened a branch on an undeveloped corner of the Clearview property and Small Sliders, a burger restaurant backed by the former NFL football player Drew Brees.
Demolition inside Clearview City Center photographed from the doorway in Metairie, La., Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
Next Chapter
The latest addition to the complex is the expanded Zea, which cut the ribbon Tuesday on its new, larger home in the Clearview parking lot, across from its original location.
Silver signage advertising the restaurant still hangs from the exterior of its old location, but that will all come down soon.
“The mall is just slab and columns, and some of the roof is already out,” Richards said. “Tuesday is when the last transformer comes off the roof, which is a big milestone, and the mall will start coming down there very quickly after that.”
Richards said he still intends for the Clearview City Center to add a hotel and additional office space. Those plans were stalled partly due to the pandemic, which diminished demand for these assets.
Zea Rotisserie and Bar photographed in front of Clearview City Center in Metairie, La., Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
Once demolition begins, it will clear everything between the Ochsner building and the Target, which, along with another longtime tenant — the AMC movie theater — will remain in their current locations, Richards said.
“Then we will start building back the replacement plan, so we’re finalizing those plans now,” Richards said.
That plan will include housing a big box national brand, that has already signed a lease, Richards said. He declined to name the tenant, citing contract terms, but expects to announce that tenant sometime in November.
His plan for the rest of the mall will include recruiting boutiques and food and beverage tenants, though he hasn’t signed any leases for those types of tenants yet.
