Reimagining Northshore Square: A Community-Informed Vision for Slidell’s Future
For decades, Northshore Square served as a recognizable landmark for Slidell, Louisiana, a place residents associate with work, memories, and the city’s growth. As the mall has sat largely vacant, the question has become: What should this site mean for the next generation?
The Options Evaluation study was created to help answer that question. It is built on a rigorous, community-informed foundation and shaped by a uniquely collaborative team – one that combined local knowledge, national experience, and a deep respect for what this place represents.
A process shaped by community, expertise, and real conversation
From the outset, Land Use Strategies consultants from Colliers Strategy & Consulting, Colliers Louisiana Brokerage, and Colliers Engineering & Design Architecture divisions approached the work with a clear intention of creating something that the Mayor, City Council, residents, and businesses could actually use. As the team emphasized, the goal was to deliver something more actionable, or a plan that can be built rather than one that just looks great. Read the full press release here.
The methodology centered on extensive market sounding, including a list of 75 potential stakeholders, 50 individual interviews, and representation across 13 sectors. According to the team, the response rate was unlike anything they’d seen, which underscored something important: residents, employers, educators, and community leaders care deeply about the future of this property. Many described the mall as “a landmark or an icon,” and their willingness to participate reflected a sense of shared ownership.
Just as important was the public engagement session, added midstream in response to local feedback and the political environment. Residents expressed a strong desire for community-oriented spaces – places for recreation, culture, indoor gathering, and especially a venue for high school graduations, which currently must take place an hour away. At the same time, private-sector stakeholders emphasized opportunities tied to Louisiana’s emerging supply-chain and logistics investments.
Balancing these inputs became a defining theme. As one team member put it, people want something for their families, but there’s also a real economic opportunity here.
Understanding the site and why it matters now
What makes Northshore Square unique is not just its size, approximately 41 acres available for re-development assumed in this evaluation, but its strategic position and existing utility infrastructure. As the report notes, the site benefits from strong interstate access, existing servicing, stormwater infrastructure that is already in place, and the advantage of “speed to market.”
As someone deeply rooted in Slidell, Chris Abadie, Senior Vice President of Colliers Louisiana Brokerage division, also brought boots on the ground insights to deepen the team’s understanding of the city’s political landscape, culture, and current economic conditions.
The team also highlighted something symbolic but meaningful in that this property is “the front door to Slidell” for anyone arriving from the west. For years, that first impression was a thriving regional mall. More recently, it has become a visible reminder of decline. Redevelopment presents an opportunity to reshape that image, and to prevent the site from fracturing into disjointed, less beneficial uses.
The four viable options shaped by feasibility and by people
After consolidating community input, market data, and design feasibility testing, four redevelopment paths emerged as realistic and high potential:
- Event Center
A flexible, multi-use venue that responds to strong public desire for places to gather, celebrate, play, and stay active year-round. From graduations to sports to cultural programming, this option carries significant social value and aligns with regional gaps in community infrastructure.
- Distribution & Logistics Center
Supported heavily by private-sector interviews, this option leverages the site’s highway access and Louisiana’s continued investment in logistics. It addresses the “latent demand” for modern warehouse and distribution space and positions Slidell as a regional logistics player.
- Light Manufacturing
Offering some of the strongest economic multipliers, this option reflects workforce and employer interest in value-added production. This option could also draw on existing supply chains, support skilled job creation, and catalyze additional investment.
- Logistics + Retail Hub
A hybrid approach that modernizes retail at a manageable scale while pairing it with logistics uses that are more feasible in today’s market. This scenario acknowledges existing retail owners onsite while still activating remaining land in a meaningful way.
These options were evaluated against nine criteria, including community benefit, employment quality, tax base contribution, resilience, and site compatibility, ensuring each was viewed objectively and transparently.
A turning point for Slidell
Throughout this project, one sentiment surfaced repeatedly: doing nothing is the only outcome that delivers no benefit. Without coordinated vision, the site risks fragmented sales, incompatible uses, and lost momentum. With a clear strategy, the city gains a path toward something the team described as a really compelling opportunity and a chance to transform an underused site into something meaningful.
This study does not choose the future – it equips the community to shape it.
Northshore Square’s next chapter can be community-focused, economically resilient, or a thoughtful blend of both. What matters most is that Slidell has options, has a voice, and has a vision grounded in real possibility.