Gretna brewpub and state match dispute draws heated public comment and Inspector General scrutiny
Loading...
Summary
Public commenters, elected officials and the inspector general debated the downtown Gretna/Kingfish brewpub and related lease questions, with concerns about missing state match for a parking garage, Inspector General reports on past leases, and calls for follow-up audits.
A contentious public-comment period at the Jefferson Parish Council on Feb. 4 focused on the long-running downtown Gretna project (often described in public testimony as a brewpub/ballroom) and related questions about whether parish expenditures were matched by state funds.
Inspector General Kim Chatelain said she had earlier published extensive reports and audits related to the project and other parish matters and complained that her reports had not prompted corrective actions. "In September 2024, I was criticized for publishing a document, not giving the council an opportunity to respond," Chatelain told the chamber; she listed ongoing audits of Jefferson Facilities Inc., Jefferson Redevelopment Inc. and other matters.
State Rep. Vincent Cox said the state Department of Administration requested a site visit and "the state is not saying no at this time," signaling that state officials had not foreclosed involvement in the Kingfish review. Civic leader Joe Marino asked the Inspector General to publish follow-up findings that would rebut earlier accusations if warranted.
Project representatives and owners defended progress on construction and warned council inaction could increase costs. Owner Tommy Diskin said work was roughly "50 to 60% complete" and warned delays and unapproved contract issues could add costs. Opponents and civic groups said granting exemptions from standard land-use and planning procedures would set a damaging precedent and raised concerns about taxpayer-funded equipment purchases for a private business; one councilmember noted the parish previously allocated about $10.3 million for a related facility and said taxpayers' stewardship must be considered.
Council members said the loss of an expected state match for a parking garage had changed the project's fiscal profile and instructed staff and members to seek concrete information; several councilmembers urged civility and for the Inspector General's reports to be read online for context. No final vote on altering the project's contracts occurred at this meeting.
