JACQUE ST. ANN (photo courtesy of St. Ann family)
The family of a teenager who died earlier this month in the dilapidated Plaza Tower, located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, is planning to take legal action against the owners of the abandoned building. Seventeen-year-old Jacque St. Ann of Belle Chasse was with a group of friends when he fell to his death on August 15th. The family’s attorney is James Williams.
“We’re tired of people getting hurt; We’re tired of losing our children. And if this is what it takes to stop it, that’s why the civil justice system exists; and we’re going to do it,” Williams said.
Williams says there was inadequate fencing around the building when St. Ann and a group of his classmates went urban exploring inside the 45-story Plaza Tower. Attorney Cedric Richmond says the fencing has improved, but the building should have been more secure…
“If you have a pool at your house, you’re going to put a fence around it; because you’re going to make sure that no one gets back there that could hurt themselves,” Richmond said.
The skyscraper has been abandoned since 2002. There has been talk about demolishing it, but at a $28 million cost. The property is legally owned by Alexandra Land and Development. Richmond says the owners, the company that manages the building and the business that provides security could all be named defendants in a likely lawsuit filed on behalf of St. Ann’s family.
“We want them to properly patrol the building, put up a permanent fence, board up the building; ultimately, bring it back into commerce,” Richmond said.
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