Dominic Massa / Eyewitness News
NEW ORLEANS – Former Mayor Ray Nagin's Park Island home near Bayou St. John is up for sale.
A real estate listing on the web site of Gardner Realtors puts the asking price at $729,000.
The listing makes no mention of the former mayor or his family, but does reference the history of the home, which was designed in 1961.
“This mid century modern home is truly a New Orleans landmark,” reads the listing. “The ‘ash tray’ house located on exclusive Park Island was designed by renowned architect, Albert Ledner,” it says.
The home has been called the ‘ash tray house’ because of architectural features which incorporate 1,200 amber ashtrays.
The web site listing also mentions the four-bedroom, three-bath house has a pool and air-conditioned garage.
Orleans Parish assessor records show Nagin purchased the home in 1998 for $345,000.
Efforts to reach the former mayor for comment on the reasons behind the decision to put the home up for sale have been unsuccessful.
The home came up in testimony during the recent federal corruption trial of businessman Mark St. Pierre. It was revealed during testimony that St. Pierre paid for grass-cutting and yard work on the mayor’s home. St. Pierre also paid $44,000 through a friend for repairs and maintenance to the nearby Park Island home of Greg Meffert, the city’s former technology director.
St. Pierre was sentenced in September to 17 and a half years in federal prison. Meffert, who was appointed by Nagin to his former city position, is scheduled to be sentenced in January. He pleaded guilty to taking kickbacks from St. Pierre, a former city vendor.
