NEW ORLEANS — Gayle Benson, owner of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, plans to acquire 1515 Poydras, a 27-story office tower in downtown New Orleans’ central business district. Benson is under contract and the sale is expected to close in mid-July. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
Built in 1983, the tower comprises 529,000 rentable square feet of office space and a 494-space structured parking garage. The property occupies an entire city block bounded by Poydras, Perdido, LaSalle and Freret streets. Future development plans for 1515 Poydras were not disclosed, but Benson has shared she “has no plans” for the property to “compete in the traditional office tenant marketplace.” Benson has tapped Sue Tucker, formerly with JLL now with Corporate Realty Inc., to oversee property management at 1515 Poydras.
Other New Orleans properties owned or once-owned by Benson include Dominion Tower (Benson Tower), the New Orleans Centre Mall (now Champions Square), the Mercedes-Benz Van Center of New Orleans and the 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Hotel.