L’Auberge looking to add 400 parking spaces

Since opening in early September, L’Auberge says demand to get into the $368 million casino and hotel on River Road has often outstripped the supply of parking spaces. On those occasions, finding one of the casino’s roughly 2,400 parking spots can feel like hitting the jackpot. “It’s not every night and it’s not every weekend, but there are large events, such as the Al Green concert, when our volume has exceeded expectations,” says L’Auberge Vice President of Marketing Kim Ginn. The casino has submitted an application with the city-parish to construct roughly 400 parking spots, and possibly more, on a spot of land just north of the casino’s current parking lots and ramp, Ginn says. If the application goes through without delay, she says, the casino hopes to have the parking lot finished by the start of next year. Ginn says a concern over a lack of parking led the casino to limit the number of tickets sold to tonight’s Darius Rucker and Better Than Ezra concert, which is the first to be held at the casino’s outdoor venue. “We capped it at 2,000 total ticket sales,” she says. “We could probably hold 10,000 people out there, but we want it to be a great experience for everyone who’s coming out.” —Steve Sanoski