Kermit Ruffins, New Orleans trumpeter / restaurateur, confirmed his endorsement of the James H. Burch, LLC development firm’s proposed plan for the city’s World Trade Center (WTC) today at the firm’s press conference. Al Thompson Jr., a local attorney and spokesman for the Virginia-based development company, announced during the same conference that “Jim Burch is thrilled to have Kermit signed on to open a jazz and supper club” on the third floor of the 33-story structure, should their firm’s proposal win the bid. This would be Ruffins’ fifth venture into attaching his name to a local music club.
Kermit Ruffins plays outside the New Orleans World Trade Center and announces a possible club there. (Photo: Jocelyne Ninneman)
The Burch group’s proposal for the redevelopment New Orleans World Trade Center site is one of three currently vying for contract. It is also one of the two plans that include renovating the tower, rather than demolishing it to build a monument and expand green space, as the third envisions. Thompson noted that the Burch plan for the tower is a mixed-use one. Restoring some of the center’s original assets, such as the top floor’s revolving restaurant club, the rooftop observation deck, foreign consulate offices and the small glass elevators would enhance new amenities such as a full service Valencia Hotel, premium condominiums, international office space and other entertainment venues.
Ruffins is not the only local musician who has signed a letter of intent to open business inside Burch’s proposed WTC development, as Thompson says space has been allocated in the plan for Irish-born Danny O’Flaherty to open a folk music club as well. (Flaherty most recently operated O’Flaherty’s in the French Quarter, which closed post-Katrina).
There are also three floors slated to become a “World Plaza” of local and international cultural attractions. In addition to the anchor music clubs, the Burch group representative also said there are designs for a “glass kitchen” that would host New Orleans’ top chefs and perhaps even give a media outlet like the Food Network a home. Burch claims his firm would have the anchor tenants of the new WTC open for business within a year and a half.
The regional government committee that will determine the fate of the WTC site is being selected and will be announced soon said another Burch group spokeswoman. Meanwhile, the other two developers with proposals on the table, the Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital Corporation and the Tricentennial Consortium of New Orleans tourism bureau leaders, are expected to host their own press conferences announcing each of their distinct plans over the next two days.
